Dust is a Liquid
by Sigma404
Summary: A broken teenage Hunter, with a powerful new discovery (literally) collides with team RWBY. Watch for the subtle elements, they may leave clues... And yes, dammit Steve! the 'typos' were deliberate. Will Vale burn with Beacon, or become the new superpower?
1. Introduction

**Edited. My capacity to type must have been drunk the first time around.**

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><p>My semblance is energy. As beautifully destructive as that sounds, its not as awesome as one thinks.I can fight with blades and guns as well as anyone else, I can hold my own. Where I belong is not at the front of the line, taking and giving hits, but helping others optimize theirs. Everything is energy. Dust is energy, irrelevant of form. Aura is energy, as is life. Emptiness and cold is just as much energy as life and warmth. I can feel these things, and manipulate them. However, energy has to come from somewhere, and it cannot be created from scratch. Therefore my ingenuity, knowledge, and unorthodoxy bolsters my semblance. Today, I will change from no longer just a support fighter, assisting others in combat so that they may destroy whatever is in their path, but I will be the juggernaut.<p>

I have discovered how to make dust not only a liquid, but one that flows through the bloodstream.

This would kill most others. But my semblance is energy. Before today, dust was chaotic, being everything but balance, turning tables wherever it manifest its presence. Make no mistake, this substance is still deadly. It is volatile. But now it achieves balance, just like any other liquid. But this fluid is pure, the balance between the chaotic living, and subtle power.

There will now be no greater threat. Energy is power, and now I will use this liquid dust to be the manifestation of power in this broken world. Today, I become a demi-god of humanity. I have healed my crippled sister. I destroyed the monster who broke her, and paid the price. I have cast down the demon inside me, becoming everything I dreamed of.

Now I feel empty. This is what I existed for, I have achieved my dream... Nothingness before me. Standing within a shop of mirrors in Vale... Is a shell. In truth a monstrosity, I was not born for this: nobody is. What do I see? A labyrinth of mirrors, framing a figure of metaphorical glass? Jet black hair... Pale skin... Brown eyes, of emptiness... Dark jeans, a throwback to older days... Black shoes, with the thinnest rubber soles... A collared black shirt, with a black jacket over top... I don't belong here. In pursuit of a door, an item which we chase but never meet, brings a collision with a girl describable only by two colors: black and red, with a strange, rectangular item between her waist and red hood.

Why will the following happen? Is it a crest of the darkest sins coming to unfold in a mockingly poetic sense? Or is this God who has stepped forwards to call me a fool? Or will I replace the evil which has taken this realm of Remnant, only to become a tyrant? Only time can tell.


	2. Objects in the Mirror

The last few moments were a flash, like any other collision. But strange, as it appears I have become sprawled across the slender lap of the girl in the red hood. I hate physical contact, but it seems that this fact is not widely known: a beautifully crafted silver blade of a rapier has appeared beside my neck in my scramble to exit the awkward situation. My eyes follow the blade up to its revolving hilt, replacing the bassinet which should have been there, onto its hilt. A delicate, pale white hand punctuated by the red coloration which follows around any person's knuckles who clearly is keeping a very, tight grip on the item. A white and blue skirt, and matching shawl? Jacket? Descriptions and fashion aside, as neither are my authority and domain, I decide to take a tactical retreat.

"My most sincere apologies, miss black and red. The unintentional lack of foresight on my behalf..."

The cold steel upon my neck reminds me of how mocking and icy my words con become. No time today for speech, haven't I waited for an eternity to show my battle qualities? My mind's hand could feel the coldness, the ionic balance within the rapier's blade. Raising my right hand to my neck, open handed with the palm facing the warlike girl, I use my semblance to form an invisible barrier between her and my neck. As the queen of ice struggles against it, I push back the electromagnetic barrier against the blade, finally giving me some breathing room.

This time in a more honest voice, I say "Honestly, I just wasn't paying attention."

Once again, semblance to the rescue, I cause myself to float off the girl below me and onto my feet.

"May I offer you assistance in regaining your feet? I cannot help but note that you look moderately petrified..."

In truth, everyone, both girls and the growing crowd in the middle of this busy street around us seem stunned. This truly cannot be something new, many people have abilities that are truly superhuman. Perhaps its the empty cup, in the hand of the girl in red made empty only in the collision. Spilled coffee can be hot and annoying, perhaps it is the source of her discomfort?

"Sorry for the spill..."

I reach out once again with my mind, drawing the liquid spilled on both herself and me, causing the caffeine rich... No, this would be decaf due to the lack of chemical energy in the mix. The floating liquid then found its way back into the lidded cup's drinking slit, which I had already set upright through my semblance. The cup then again began to steam (I converted some of the chemical energy in the coffee to heat energy), when the last of us finally found our feet again.

People now began to leave, I could feel their boredom. Just another strange hunter still trying to learn physical balance. Nothing new, and not strange enough to waste too much time upon.

"Do you intend to duel me with that unsheathed weapon?"

A more than proper question, as the unspoken intention of the naked blade hovered like a set of ravens over their doomed prey. A question which prompts the hood to remove the collapsed rectangle from behind herself, expanding it into a massive, dangerous scythe.

"I will confess, I..."  
>"Shut up."<p>

The interjection from the lighter and older of the two shades before me serves as a reminder to the reality of my situation. No matter, I too am armed, but not with my combat sword. I raise my arms, level to my neck and a set of hidden fixed wrist blades. As I lower my arms down to my sides, I permit myself to sigh: this is a job for the great sword, not these emergency four foot toothpicks. I take two steps backwards, trying to provoke their anger to an apparent coward: a mistake. Silently, they together leap forwards as the hooded one instantly closes the distance between my torso and her scythe.


	3. Desperation

Blood. Pain. This is my birthright, which I live in. Blood. Pain. Proof of life, something I should not have after meeting the bladed end of that deadly scythe. Who is this girl? That is the question which floods my mind as I stitch my own flesh together with a vial of liquid dust I kept on me for such on occasion. I should have been cut in two, why do I live? A flying bolt of fire answers this question, as I see Steve the Ferret give hell to the cloaked figure of red and black. Ruby Rose, that is her name; accompanied by another girl named Weiss... Who's last name is foreign to my senses. But the train of glass though within and throughout me is shattered as the bolt of fire, my last bit of surviving friendship, is stricken by a glyph only to fall at my feet. Ash and dust, Steve's only remaining sigh of life are the last embers radiating from his soft belly. Rather than entirely healing myself, I pour the last of the liquid dust upon her, the fire ferret who had saved my life.

This action had not gone unnoticed, nor had the pain and anguish from watching the fire ferret join the stricken. The heiress and the scythe-wielder step back wisely, as flames, shards of ice and glass from shattered nearby windows, blades made from my own hardened blood, and my teardrops assemble into a ghost copy of my great sword which I had so foolishly left with my black traveler's cloak at home. Holding the massive hilt upright with two hands, I take a deep breath in. Everything catches fire, freezes, shatters or explodes within fifty meters, as I pull in the energy created by their destruction.

This time, the duelist steps in accompanied by another glyph with a well placed strike. Slash, parry, dodge, pointed kicks and the influence of dust are soon joined in by Ruby as the small creature I have grown close to finishes recovering. As Weiss's rapier cleaves a section of hair from my head, I throw my great sword at the two huntresses now that they once again stand side by side. In fear I stumble back as the massive blade explodes in their faces into a hailstorm of the weapon's makeup: the desperate formation of my weakness. Carrying in one hand the last friend on earth this broken creature possesses, I use my right hand to cover the small cat ear which I had so carefully groomed my black hair into hiding. This will be the last time they see me. Why they did not purse is unknown, but that day I ran into the streets, broken and exhausted. Is this a sign? An omen? Today... Yesterday... This is how it began. Limping home awoken a new reality: this discovery will destroy its finder should he choose to carry it alone. I will find allies, but only after that last bit of hair re-grows.

* * *

><p>Injuries healed, ego re-established, coffee in hand and a plan formulated. It is time to build, walking through the streets with nothing more than a pair of hidden wrist blades will constitute my demise. Besides, there is no way by paths of heaven or earth that the leadership within the Schnee dust company will ever buy the refining process and knowledge behind liquid dust from me unless it can be proven useful. A white blueprint pen and sheathes of the appropriate paper litter the counter within the moderately lit workshop. As Steve picks through discarded bits of small metal bits, as Ferrets do, a design finally takes form after hours of coffee pots, pacing, and forced focus. With the dripping of the most concentrated liquid dust, or argentum (Latin for silver), for the sheen that the more stable variant of this liquid powerhouse seems to take. Before long, a practical exoskeleton is formed upon a blueprint sheet: designed to maximize physical strength, endurance, and the focus of aura while carrying 8 small cylinders of liquid dust, each connected to a flexible hose leading to the wearer's wrists.<p>

While taking a walk outside in the sun, a well deserved break, I am confronted with an unusually reflective pool of water. The ear of a faunus challenges the identity possessed within, meeting the two faces I wear with a challenge. Hide or accept the reality of the cat ears? Within my small dwelling place, nothing more than a very large room with a bed, a closet, a washroom, small kitchen, all dominated by the full workshop within dedicated to metalworking, metallurgy, and the refining of dust and argentum has hid that question. Not yet though, appearances must be kept. What business would ever take a faunus chemist seriously? Over the next few weeks, only one task and thought may be permitted to endure: perfect the argentum process, and build the suit. Continuing the walk, thought collapses and centers, re-established onto the face of the rapier wielding girl in blue and silver. Did my choice to name this discovery become influenced, subconsciously by the thought of her? No, no time for distraction...

Perhaps a small amount of distraction, as Steve, who had stealthily followed this quest for solitude and answers reminds me of her existence as the sneaky creature climbs up the side of my leg up to my head. As the creature nips the tip of the cat ear, defying the near perfect cut style of thick long black hair, the lingering thought of the girl who was named Weiss is chased away by a playful fire ferret.

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><p>A quick shout out to those who have bothered to read along thus far. This is my first publication on this site, and first "published" story to make it past the scrutiny of the worst critic of any writer: one's self. Any suggestions to improve my ability to write is welcome, and to those who entertain my imagination by joining me within it, I will always have a next story or chapter ready.<p> 


	4. Just good business

"I dont know Steven, I think you look better in yours."

The teenager and the ferret were standing before a glass window, observing themselves. It was a rare sight to see both of them in business suits, particularly the faunus. Perhaps switching the black ties for silk black bowties was a bit much, but yet again? Bowties are cool.

"How does one even use this thing?"

The suited teenager was holding a scroll, a brand new device that he never had to use. The only system he ever had to interact with was his more traditional, if not archaic interface for the beefed up computer he mainly used for running calculations and checking his work.

"Have you tried pushing the yellow button right in the middle?"

A girl wearing hoplite ancient Greek looking armor, carrying a similarly styled shield on her back had raised the question. Partially caught off guard, but mostly startled, the dark haired youth turned to the speaker.

"I thought that was ornamental..."

Sure enough, the device holding the gears into a locked position released their hold, and with ease the rectangle opened up to form a holographic tablet.

"Damn. I never knew that they made them like this... Wait, identification?"

"Yes, it appears that it is your first time using this scroll. At first it only asks for your name, and later on you go to city hall you get your credentials loaded up. it does act as a form of personal ID, this device."

"My... Name? Uh, its Drexel..."

"And mine is Pyrrha Nicos, a pleasure to meet you."

It had been years since he thought of it last. Drexel had discovered a major milestone in science and technology: liquid dust. He build an exo-skeleton that had replaced his need for a weapon is his palm to focus his aura and exponentially increased his strength (provided that he didn't run out of argentum or burn off his aura too quickly). Only to lose his name. The irony. Drexel's hand seemed to glide along the surface as he rapidly input his first name, when his sleeve slipped back, revealing the bracer of the exoskeleton he had hidden underneath.

"Drexel, your arm..."

Silently cursing under his breath, Drexel saw the revealed portion of the exo-skeleton: something which he preferred to keep secret. This stranger was clearly a huntress, and this morsel of information would suit him best if the element of society he had clashed with previously remained ignorant of the weapon system. Steve, sensing a disturbance in her ride's balance, poked his head out of Drexel's breast pocket.

"Thanks Pyrrha for the help..."

The sentence was divided into two, as Drexel bolted down the street. Finishing the remainder nearly under his breath, he whispered:

"...I appreciate it."

* * *

><p>Sneaking Steven into a place where animals are banned? Easy work for Drexel. Not burning a handful of childish dust and weapons engineers from the Schnee Dust Company just needs practice. But sitting at the same table just feet away from the individual who formed a scar across Steven's belly without launching a suicidal rain of fury? Not exactly easy, particularly when the same fool contemplating the plan is wearing a potent weapon capable of even healing the worst wounds. Even then, proper presentation and cool mindedness may be the difference between a massive sponsorship and the end of a piss poor workshop hidden in the middle of the city.<p>

"And you mean to tell me, that this... argentum, the product of some teenager's madness outperforms this company's best refineries?"

But yet again, even the attempt to separate Weiss's head from her neck would sound attractive to a deaf man. Drexel knew that he would receive no moral support from the lab coated engineers and developers that filled the seats around the boardroom table. Perhaps a gut full of dust shot from the armed guards stations around the room that certainly were not there earlier had been the true deterrent to such an impulse.

"Only for the reason that impurities are easier to separate from a liquid rather than a sand. With the systems that the Schnee Dust Company no doubt already possesses, we would be looking at the concept of liquefying crystals, and re-pouring them into any mold an engineer sees fit, without any loss in waste dust, and increasing purity by at least 500%."

The Heiress may come to levels of disgust when looking at the very questionable chemist, but even she, a warrior and schoolgirl knew the insane profit increases that just this new refinery process alone may offer. Not to mention the fact that dust could kept in smaller containers at higher concentrations of energy. Drexel attempted another route.

"I could take your sword and apply the same energy multiplier to it. Something that could even cut through another thing I am developing: I call it the exo-suit."

The engineers were now clearly jittery in interest. Yes, the same boyish enthusiasm could even be seen in the faced of the older engineers around the table if but masked.

"As if a weak little frame of carbon steel can stop my blade already!"

"Oh, damn right it can. This sucker emits an energy shield that not even the post potent dust grenade can shatter. Mind you, it does have a small battery life due to the fact that it sucks power like a mosquito sucks blood, but that's the inefficiency of its builder and designer not being able to afford better parts."

Even if Weiss was opposed to the entire concept, the engineers would beyond question inform her father to overrule any negative decision made to this new technology.

"Name your price."

"Enough cash for a humble chemist and metallurgist to be comfortable and continue his insane designs and schemes, with a real laboratory. The same schemes, which I would turn over to this company at no extra cost."

A reasonable offer. If, the same research base that Drexel would live within was not the same place that Weiss would spend her summers away from beacon at.

"I'll lend your proposition some thought."

The same lofty attitude and voice was identical to the method at which she left the room. The engineers followed her lead, obediently behind the heels of the heiress. Once the guards also followed suit, Drexel removed Steven from his pocket.

"Do me a favor?"

The fire ferret nipped one of the mad scientist's fingers in acknowledgement.

"You know how to use the company's database."

He then slipped a small high capacity universal datachip with a cord long enough to fit around the animal's neck around it's head.

"I want answers."


	5. Everybody Schemes

**To those who are with me in this first story, with its marks of a novice, I salute. For you I write this first of what I intend to be a great volley of works. To the two gentleman who have influenced me via private messaging into improvement I thank. And you, reader, I promise a very entertaining fanfic. **

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><p>"Of course Yang can come too. I'd expect no less. And, Blake is invited... If she shows up is a different matter... Alright, see you soon... Bye..."<p>

After hanging up, Weiss put her head in her hands. Destroying the strength and will of her enemy in the field was a cakewalk, but keeping a potential sociopath in check without destroying most of the complex may prove to be more difficult than a sugar filled Ruby. Sure that skirmish could have been avoided, but the two of them had a bad day, and the stranger had happened to just get in the way. In truth, this Drexel (or so the documents referring to his patents listed his first name as) may be a wild card: if he could develop liquid dust, next generation armor and God knows what weaponry? Her run-of-the-mill security guards would not be able to hold back someone they cannot even incapacitate.

"Ruby alone could have taken him down that night. But the four of us, even with his armor... He said it himself, short term battery life... And there is no way that my father will ever sponsor such a weapon."

The beeping of her scroll brought the silver haired girl away from her thoughts, and back down to business. A direct text based message from her father? Worst fears confirmed, it appears that her father is taking the nutcase seriously. Looks like the Myrtenaster would be her constant companion once more. While putting on her belt so what she may carry the weapon sheathed, the Heiress recalled the offer personally made to her earlier. More power would require practice, but perhaps this new form of dust could be useful to her after all.

_At least he doesn't attend Beacon... I may never interact with him at all..._

If the silver lady could be called anything, one of the titles one could not offer is inpersistant. Perhaps there is a way that this technology could be attained, and the dark haired oaf tossed aside... If it meant entertaining another person who would be nothing more than a guest, why not tolerate him?

* * *

><p>Meanwhile...<p>

Roman Torchwick was not always a villain. A con, perhaps and a dandy, maybe. During his time as just another innocent commoner (as innocent as a liar may be), he met a very bright young scrawny lad who never could hold a fight... On his own. He always seemed to rally defenders, and these defenders, no matter how weak or plain, would dominate the field into victory: be it a true trial of strength in arms, or something far more petty. Today he managed to persuade Cinder into accompanying him to his favorite little coffee shop which he always frequented weekly for a cup of tea. Usually he would avoid having Cinder around the place with him, but the exception for the reason that the same youth appeared to also begin visiting as well.

"Roman... I may enjoy surprises, but yours tend to end badly."

"Dearest Cinder, what we may have in our room is an individual who could be our greatest asset." _Or disappointment._

"Oh please, any child which you ever babysat probably is sitting in jail for petty crimes as we speak." _Or failure. _

"Not this child, he went underground... Literally. We may not have a solution, but a potentially powerful trump card or force multiplier." _Or fastest shallow grave in the history of operations._

"The boy must be promising if his mention is enough to provoke you into an area you never had any strength in: tactics."

Naturally the cane wielding con treated his boss to a roll of the eyes. The female employer may have always been nice to look at, while serving as a formidable foe to any living blockade, but tolerating such a unique attitude was never much of a joyride. Indeed the boy did show promise... If only in attire. Dark jeans again, but with a tweed sports jacket and a black dress shirt sporting... A red silk bowtie. But, the stopper of any show is not the jacket or tie, but the fire ferret upon the mad scientist's shoulder. Nothing signifies ego greater, than a rare pet: since when do ferrets give orders to faunus cats anyways?

Drexel shot the dandy with the proverbial arrows of the eyes. _As right as you may be, big brother, I will get you for that._

"If you ladies really need counselling that badly, I may not be qualified to provide it... But I certainly will watch. But that's not why we're here; we were just talking about you, Drexel."

Naturally, Torchwick could not resist this juicy of an interjection. "All good things." _  
><em>

Instantly the cafe dropped to a dead silence, with every head turned to the regular fool who would cross two stories that would best be left apart.

In an effort to bail from the undesired outcome, Roman attempted to bail out with a pun. "You've got to be kitten me."

Drexel had also known Cinder for some time, and he had always been the sarcastic big sister he always wanted. It only took a quick lock of the eyes to formulate such a powerful master plan, and half the time to spring it into gear. The two swiped up the magazines from the table, one in each hand, and began to beat the suited dandy into a stupor. Naturally he fought back, but the poor sap was no match for Drexels energy semblance boosting Cinder's fire charged magazine slaps and superior skills. The atmosphere now back in order, and a finally silent Roman, any incoming legions were now properly quenched.

"I accept your offer, big sis. And naturally, I must delay the move. I have something for you."

"And whats this?"

"Good lady, its proof that my plan will work. The heiress will cast me out, and even before the first day, I have made a profit beyond the fool's imagination."

Drexel placed the memory chip that Steven had loaded with very sensitive data of nearly every single mention from the Company's central mainframe into his new employer's hand.

"Sadly, there was a layer of security that couldn't be removed: you cannot duplicate the chip's memory in any method, else the data will self corrupt into oblivion. But its contents can be displayed."

The two smirking schemers accepted the coffees laid out before them by the waitress.

The girl in the red dress finished the conversation, while a still dazed Roman muttered his thanks for his tea.

"There will be a day, when Ferrets rule us all."


	6. Our masked faces

The same boardroom. But without the engineers, lawyers. There was one thing in the agreement that was missing, and it was time to drop that bomb. The document would have to include permission for Steve to assist Drexel in his work, an element that the eighteen year old boy had forgotten to include. In truth, without the little blazing creature, much of the work that required tiny hands in confined areas would have been impossible considering that the six foot tall lad with his massive hands lacked a steady soldiering hand.

"I need to add another clause."

The Heiress was rather hoping that the matter would be done with today, and that she could return to her board game with her team and guests. She warned her father that at the last minute the sneaky youth would demand an exorberant fee, claiming that his technologies and capacities were beyond any cash value.

"I need this contract to include someone else..."

The fire ferret jumped out of the chemist's inside breast pocket, and onto the table.

"Her name is Steven. Seems to be the only thing she answers to."

To be honest, Weiss wanted to snatch the cute little creature from the table and run. How could such a recurring ass of a nuisance travel with such an adorable critter? There was no way she could accuse the guy who would soon work in her father's company of being inhumane, Steven's fur was very well maintained as if it was regularly washed, conditioned, and brushed.

"Your pet?" The girl had to keep up the disdain, otherwise someone would start asking questions.

The fire ferret glanced at the Heiress, clearly annoyed. _Don't judge. Humans make efficient bringers of food. Besides, he's good at recording scroll numbers for me.__  
><em>

"Fine. Just write it in on the contract, and we'll finalize it shortly after signing."

It didn't exactly annoy Drexel too much, to have to trust her, but in all honesty he would have kept Steven with him anyways.

"Madam, I look forwards to doing business with you."

Signatures signed, it was time to look at the new lab. Steven jumped on the boy's head, and everyone got up. The lawyers quickly vacated the space, leaving the two teenagers alone with the four nearly hidden security.

"I would very much like to see my new workspace."

* * *

><p><em>The guest suite <em>

_Typical, obsessed, geeky engineer. At least he wasn't too annoying. Another young man who sleeps in his lab and keeps a lab rat. Typical. Who knows, maybe that little upgrade is feasible... _

"Hey Weiss, snap out of it!"

Yang's shove was enough to bring me back down to earth. Looking down at the puzzling cardboard and plastic battlefield which the four of us girls had spilled so many tears over, once again confused, she called to the blonde for an assist.

"Wow... This time your hand really is going to be fun... You have all my favorite trap cards!"

Within five seconds flat, each of us had taken their turns in emptying our their tear ducts. In between two tears, I finally came back to focus, the reason why I extended the invitations in the first place.

"Hey... guys? There's a reason why I asked you to visit here..."

"Naturally." Commented Blake Belladonna.

"Recall that guy we ran into about a month ago? The one with hair as dark as Blake's."

In the middle of a particularly large cookie, Ruby offered a comment of her own. "The one who ran into us? He spilled my coffee."

"Yes, well... He's back. Hes already in the same complex as us... The three of you are going to help me get rid of him."

"I though he could hardly hold a fight? That he only managed to somewhat defend himself after nearly rage-quitting."

"This time it's different."

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Tower<em>

"It is confirmed by The Schnee Dust Company: the boy is a scryer, has a semblance of energy, and rediscovered one of the lost secrets of dust. And we, have unconfirmed reports of him being friendly with the head of our current biggest problem: Torchwick and Cinder."

"It not as bad as you think, Glynda."

The headmaster took his seat behind his desk.

"No scryer in a thousand years has even been able to discover or effectively use his or her abilities. A company loyal to the 'common good' as Mr. Schnee had termed it appears to be the soul carrier of any said devastating and ground breaking technology. His semblance is strong enough to warrant an invitation to learn here, at least until things die down. Once the drama of this situation is dead, then so will be any threat. What had been observed of him yet does not show that he is a dark person by any means, and will probably become loyal to Miss Schnee before the school term begins."

Neither of them liked the powerlessness of their situation: sitting and waiting to watch a game of change neither of them wanted to play in the first place was nearly intolerable. But at least they would be able to receive samples of argentum, and have a chance to persuade the teenage boy to turn from his charade of adulthood and into the place where he belongs. A student's place.

"These first few weeks will certainly look bad, Glynda."

"Agreed, but..."

"This is a smokescreen to something bigger. We just need to take control of the situation, and business will return to its unstable usual.

* * *

><p><em>The Laboratory<em>

"Miss Schnee?"

"What do you want, Employee?"

It was the second day, and the move had finally been completed. Standing in black dress pant, a lab coat, black inside shirt, and moderate guilt, the teenage boy knew that he was pushing a very strict unspoken limit of causing his employer's daughter to linger a few intolerable seconds longer than were required.

"I understand that some time ago, I had caused a misconduct against you and a friend. Any other time I would have seen and avoided the incident before it could have even happened. Apologies have no value, but action does. I know that there are resources that are barred to you, due to their nature as a reprimand to those files you requested to be copied to your scroll some time ago - without permission. What your father doesn't know..."

Drexel permitted a silence to hang for a brief moment. Then, an idea occurred to the scryer...

"Well, go have fun, you two. I can set this place up to my standards with ease, it's time Steven had a holiday."

The tiny fire ferret ran off, tailing the Heiress, who had turned off without a word. _I never told anyone I liked the little critter, not even mentioned it in any way..._ Steven jumped off a nearby wall, and onto Weiss's shoulder. _How did he know?_

As the sly chemist took a seat in his new big chair, he knew that melting the ice queen into the... What was the name? _Snow Princess_ that she had been called in the past would be easy work. Loremaster: a title reserved only for those who could master pure-energy semblances. Some called their skills a whisper from something evil. In truth, time is nothing more than residual energy, the potential yet to pass, and the trail which had passed. Scrying is a way to shift through that knowledge. Time is everything.

_It is only a pity... That my orders will end with her broken... Is there any other way?_


	7. That smell

What is this strange smell? Usually the laboratories, particularly the ones in the chemical development department were something to avoid. Any other time Weiss would have remain clear of this entire wing of the building, but Yang smelled food. As the eager blonde lead the Heiress though the halls, followed closely by Blake and Rose, the nearby chemists were puzzled. Since when do civilian females of this caliber stroll though this wing of the complex unchecked? _Dammit, we gotta learn how to reproduce this wondrous scent! _

"It's coming from this place!"

Weiss gracefully slipped in front of yang, her arms spread as blockade to her three eager compatriots. Not without reason, either: for this was the laboratory of the strange youth who gave her father's company the powers of argentum. It was not out of respect, but now a lesser caliber of disdain; for now at her hilt she carried not a dust reservoir, but a deadly, more superior chemical which had been carefully brewed in Drexel's chemical laboratory. Since then, her glyphs had become deadlier: she could feel it.

"All of you know what's... Hey!"

Before Weiss could even attempt to begin her sermon on the mount, Ruby slipped under her with semblance and size onto her advantage. Before the cloaked girl got three steps in, she froze to a halt.

"You!"

Drexel had been standing in front of a small cluster of kitchen appliances tucked in the corner. Shirtless, barefoot, wearing faded jeans and a clearly upgraded exo-suit, the moderately muscled youth turned around to see his recurring nightmare come to life: Ruby stood ready for combat with her scythe drawn, friends not too far behind.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit..."

Reaching for his t-shirt and using his energy semblace to make a greatsword of void, a blade without substance yet still capable to cut beyond the capacities of steel (courtesy of the energy boost given by the small tank of argentum). Ruby Rose took the initiative, leading a silent charge against the upgraded figure in the shielded frame. Throwing the shirt aside to enable a two handed grip, the teenage boy raised the sword vertically, ready to meet his potential demise.

"STOP!"

The two combatants obliged, and turn their head to the speaker, Yang.

"He can cook, let him live."

Yang had acquired a ladle, somehow, and was using it to allow her to sample the contents of the large pot.

"Is it done?"

Drexel threw aside his weapon. The darkblade vaporized on contact with the floor. He walked over to the blonde, and replied.

"Missing only one thing..."

The boy turned off the heat to the element, and stirred the pot a few times with a large wooden spoon.

"Done. Wow, how rude."

Yang took the pot, and proceeded to walk out the door.

"Ptff, you can make another."

As the other three girls walked over to join the chemist, he took as many steps away, nearly tripping over discarded items or strange constructions with eyes fixed on the massive red and black scythe, still drawn.

"Ladies, look, I'll brew the exact type of argentum you want, just don't kill me."

Mischievous Ruby swung her weapon close to the coward's face, and had miscalculated the angle of her weapons swing. The blade would have nearly separated the head from the boy, even with the shield, if he hadn't had the reflex to edge away just enough.

Once the freshly cut black hair fell to the ground, the pair of velvet black cat ears upon Drexel's head were more exposed to the eyes of team RWBY (minus Yang).


	8. The Petals were black

"I just thought that I cut his face, and his semblance healed his scar." Insisted Ruby, as she rubbed her sore side. Nobody would have guessed that the chemist's fear of a fight with the girls was as strong as his strength.

* * *

><p><em>The destroyed lab<em>

A tear ran down Drexel's face. This was a true tear of sadness, something which he never was submitted to since an eternity ago, a forgotten past.

* * *

><p>"He's a faunus." Blake answered curtly "If he thought that you might have gained a suspicion that he was a faunus, especially if he had ambitions to work under a corporation who has had bad experience with faunus in the past..."<p>

* * *

><p><em>The destroyed lab<em>

He honestly hoped that in his time at his new job posting would bring him close to Weiss, that he could confess his sins he committed with Roman and Cinder. The dream that he would maybe even end up as an element of her personal guard, or a trusted head engineer...

* * *

><p>"There no way that he would get that dream job." Blake finished. "Didn't he cry a little?"<p>

* * *

><p><em>The destroyed lab<em>

Drexel honestly knew that he was just a pawn, fought for in a deadlocked battle because both were looking for a something that to tip the balance. Even if it probably wouldn't even work as intended.

* * *

><p>"It was sorrow... Did you see how he looked at me?" Weiss continued. "What is this creature?"<p>

* * *

><p><em>The destroyed lab<em>

He knew that criminal elements of the faunus had killed members of the Schnee family, even close friends in the attempt to gain leverage. Fear. But there was no way that he could continue his work now.

The picture of his actions were still vivid... After he threw Ruby into the wall near the door, the girls bolted, pausing only to help each other drag their friend... No, sister out the door. _I will never be forgiven. _

Drexel opened up his scroll, and created a channel directly to Cinder. "Bloodshot, my lady."

_"Understood."_

While the Schnee dust company intended to deploy their shiny new toy, argentum in absolute full, the project had not yet gone into full swing. _Just as I planned. _Drexel had scattered a virus around the company's network and mainframe that at the push of a button, would allow him to send a copy of his upgraded works to his scroll in full, and destroy any of the company's capacity to ever exploit, let alone reproduce argentum whatsoever. The concept of someone remembering how would be impossible: the computer did all the math and practical chemistry in the whole system. Without the computer's assistance...

And Drexel pushed that button. Looking at the suit he was still wearing, he could not help but think: _Thank you, Schnee. I couldn't have done it without you. Sure I never got to adding the plating... But I have produced enough of top quality argentum to keep me going until I set up shop in Torchwich's garage._

Quickly packing one suitcase of the only argentum in the building (save for Weiss's sword) and one suitcase of clothes, Drexel quickly grabbed his suit jacket and buttoned it up.

"Come on Steven. It's not safe here anymore."

From under a bit of rubbish, the fire ferret emerged, to bounce her way upon the neck of the fugitive.

* * *

><p>"I want him to stay here. I'll take the blaime. By the morning he will cool down, and we can properly have introductions... Particularly Blake. Otherwise, we wont believe it when I tell him how I'll lie to my father."<p>

Such was the resolution of the Heiress. Little did she know, that he was nearly ready to leave for what could be the remainder of eternity. As she sat there in her nightgown, she could not help but feel as if a the part of her heart that none of her friends could reach, was beginning to thaw.

"At least we got this stew... Guys, get a bowl! I'll hit it with some fire and make it hot again!" Yang just might have been the only practical one that day.

"Just a moment... I need to go for a walk." Weiss Schnee took her stand from the corner of her bed.

"In your nightgown?" Ruby inquired

"At least take your sword." Came Blake's persistence.

* * *

><p><em>The destroyed lab<em>

An idea formed in Drexel's lab, just as he stood in the doorframe to the once was laboratory (which he destroyed). He walked to a clear patch of the center of the room, and outstretched his right arm, palm loose facing the ground. A thin stream of argentum slipped from a crack of the suitcase he had placed back upon the ground. _I want it to look beautiful. I want it to be life like. I want it to be perfect. Like her. _

A rose began to form from the silvery liquid. Once the form was complete, he lowered his arm and stepped away, recollecting his suitcase...

"No!" Came the boom of the mad scientist's voice.

The stem of the rose, was perfect, as were the petals. But nobody takes a black rose as any form of anything positive. _The Petals Were Black._

The petals were black! The boy stormed from the wrecked room, turning sharply to the left. But just as he had turned the corner, Weiss entered the hallway from the right, missing the sight of him completely. She entered the wreckage, seeing only the destruction of a still fresh rage. But something caught her eye.

She walked to the center of the room, and picked up the now frostbitten black rose, which had a texture so soft and petals so crisp, not even nature could produce such a rare beauty. It was black and alone, a refreshing contrast to the red and white roses that came in the multitudes from the rich suitors she had been frequented by not too long ago. _And it was cold, too._

But what stood out, was not any of these things, but the drop of blood that slipped from between the base of the petals, and into her hand.

But where did the cat go?


	9. The fall

_Schnee Dust Company - Hallways_

Barefoot is the only way to win this race. That much was clear. But what the hell was going on? Just days ago, I hated the guy with a passion that not even Ruby fell victim to when she first met her! Now I'm chasing him, as if I was an airy schoolgirl who understood nothing of the reality before herself. _Dammit, Dammit, Dammit. _But wasn't that him there? Sure the hair had regrown, but many semblances have some degree of regeneration capabilities. No, the fire ferret upon the faunus's shoulder and the two suitcases were are the giveaway she needed. Damn he was fast... But glyphs are faster! Who would have thought that the resource he so willingly gave would be the thing that caught him? Apparently not the chemist.

* * *

><p><em>Schnee Dust Company - Garden<em>

Only one thing stood before Drexel and his escape: a girl clad in nightgown, black rose, and silver blade... And no shoes.

"Go steven. Look after my stuff." Steven then threw a pebble to the ground, placed the two suitcases atop of it, followed by the fire ferret at the perch.

Quizzically, Steven looked up at first Weiss, then Drexel. _Don't do anything stupid.__  
><em>

"You know I will."

Steven raised his hand above the stack of stuff, and a glyph formed around the base of the pile. In a flash of black energy, every stacked object and animal except the stone, had vanished.

"Its my turn now."

But before Steven could raise a foot to stand above his strange teleporter, Weiss knocked him onto his back.

"You aren't going anywhere, you make a business deal."

The Heiress threw the rose to the ground, at the feet of the fallen Hunter.

"And you made a rose."

"It was my way of saying goodby..."

"IT WAS A DISGUSTING TAUNT!"

Silence. It was true. Who leaves a girl a rose when saying goodbye?

"You. Stay. Here."

Now Drexel shook his head sadly.

"You would have to meet big brother and sister eventually."

With a heart of gold to offer, the teenage girl answered sweetly. "I would love to meet them."

And with a heart of spite to answer, from behind the Heiress, came two sarcastic laughs. One male. One female. The girl with silver hair slowly turned around to meet the mockery.

"Well, I'm big brother, Ice Queen." Answered Roman Torchwick

"And naturally, I'm the big sister. But sadly, we've already been introduced, and Drexel isn't exactly allowed yet to date. Roman?"

The cane wielding scoundrel struck Weiss before she could recover let alone understand the revelation. Knocked out cold, she fell back, and was caught by Drexel's waiting arms. The sword and rose left upon the ground, the three boarded the stealth transport which transported the first two miscreants onto the property undetected in the first place. Placing a pair of Drexel's specially designed shackles, purely for this special prisoner so that her semblance would never be useable: courtesy of augmentum.

"You did the right thing, kid."

But there was not a single word that Roman could offer Drexel that would undo the chain of events now guaranteed to unfold.

* * *

><p><strong>Dearest reader, I do apologize. Ever so sadistic, I must leave you at this for tonight.<strong>


	10. Closing curtain

_Unknown Underground Location - Prison Block C_

"Traitor."

If it weren't for the steel bars that separated the sentry from the captive, Drexel would have found himself choking on the same shackles he built to protect himself from Weiss.

"This time, when Ruby finds you? She's going to kill you for real. Thats if Winter, Yang, or any of the others find you first."

The black haired youth, hidden beneath his warm traveler's cloak which easily covered his face and long, thin body continued to ignore the Heiress. The verbal abuse had been flowing like the blood from the girl's emotional wounds for quite some time now. At least, she would like to make him think that she was hurt. She knew that she had to push him just a little in the right way, and that he would crack like an overstressed sheet of glass. Finally, after two hours of cajoling sarcasm and bitter insults, the boy in the corner gave an answer.

"I cannot be a traitor, because traitors break something which I never had: trust."

"You were to end up as the head of engineering."

"Thats bullshit." The black cat slowly rose his head, from the ball in his own opposite corner which he took as his own. Just the set of brown, angry eyes were visible upon the chemist's mostly hidden face. "Your father only keep faunus workers in the mines and refineries. Enough of my own have killed enough of those closest to your kin, so theres no blame for that."

The eyes sunk back down into the sitting mass of dark cloak.

"I was prepared to lie however I had to so that your secret would have been kept."

"Wait, you're calling me a liar? I'm surprised that you didn't skewer me on the spot."

"Blake is a faunus, and although we aren't obviously blood related, she's something you are currently far from being: family."

It wasn't the repeated punctuation of how distant Drexel was from the girl in the stone and steel prison before his, but the reminder that the only people that he held onto anymore are a collection of high risk, sadistic, murderous criminals. Much like himself. Just a second ago, Drexel's voice was strong, firm, and confident. But now, there had never been such a weak and hollow sound which croaked from the feline's throat.

"I lived for 17 years without a family. My friends are the ringmasters to a circus of the darkest crimes on the content, with just as powerful resources as you could boast behind yourself. My two closest friends are my employers, which look after me and my interests close to their own. I don't need you. I don't need your help... *sigh* How long has it been?"

"Two hours."

At this moment, Steve lipped her way out of one of Drexel's cloak pockets, and into the cell.

"Oh, so now you're on her side? Dammit, Steve."

The fire ferret glanced at her counterpart, and cocked her head. _You idiot, you're losing your grip._

"Back in the Garden, I dropped and left a stone." Drexel threw an identical stone into the prison. "Hardened, dried, pure argentum. There was a time when a people referred to as 'Lore-Masters' used argentum in this form to summon glyphs capable of teleportation between two stones. They shrink, and eventually disintegrate once overused."

The chemist unlocked the prison door, and locked himself in with the two females.

"These stones only have enough energy to transport two and a half living beings. But I can push it. Steve, if something goes wrong, you and Weiss take priority. You know what to do if such was to happen."

"Wait, what? If this was the case, then why did you send Steve with your luggage ahead of time?"

"Because the luggage included a set of high power argentum explosives, which Steve took the liberty of placing around the main structural pylon of this bunker. Yes, Miss Schnee, you are underground, and we're about to fake our deaths. With any luck, Cinder and Roman might be caught in the blast."

"Who are you even loyal to?"

Drexel released the shackles around Weiss's wrists. The instant they hit the ground, Weiss formed a glyph between the two teenagers, and used it to slam Drexel into the wall.

"Uhgh... I deserved that..."

The chemist fell flat upon his face. After a few moments, he picked himself up, and turned to the fire ferret.

"What time did you set the explosives for?"

The ground began to rock and shake, and large chunks of the ceiling outside the cell began to collapse. Drexel picked himself up and quickly stood over the stone. He pulled the Heiress in a tight hug, with one arm around her waist. The fire ferret bounced off the wall, onto Drexel's shoulder, and buried herself in the inside pocket which she had grown so fond of.

"What the hell are you doing?" Looking down at the cloak covered arm, and the barrier of blue energy forming around herself, Weiss could not help but wonder why she didn't punch the backstabber in the jaw for touching her. "We're leaving."

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful whirlwind of a dark abstract styled art around the barrie. But Weiss couldn't help but think it looked hostile, as if it was sentient, and she was somewhere she didn't belong. Nothing about the experience seemed right, for also, although they appeared to be standing still, she could feel the effect of inertia as if she was riding a powerful rollercoaster. The strange un-nameable shapes and colors surrounding the energy barrier started to react to the interlopers, spinning directly towards them, and began ramming the translucent, blue energy barrier. Black cracks, appearing to be of the same substance that Drexel had made a greatsword from not too long ago.<p>

Weiss looked over her right shoulder at the lore-master, who had his eyes shut tight closed. Now she saw what he was doing with his other arm: the chemist was holding it in front of them, cupping a blue whirling transparent ball of the exact same color of the energy barrier around them. Everything seemed to be perfectly fine, except that each time the barrier was assaulted, Drexel would grimace in pain.

* * *

><p><em>The Garden<em>

"Face it little sis, we have no evidence that it was a kidnapping, no way of proving Torchwick had entered the picture and no idea where she could have gone."

"But Weiss would never drop her sword! That proves foul play when put together with that ransom message Blake overheard Winter was talking about."

The two sisters had visited the place of Weiss's disappearance for the second time. This was primarily for the reason that Blake had refused to tolerate their bickering and the two sister's tendency to always end in some form of conspiracy theory, that Ruby always managed to tie to a superweapon.

"Grrr! It would be so much easier if she just came right back, and told us exactly what is going on!"

It was an explosion of brilliant blue and the deepest, most depressing black which threw the girls to the ground. Once the shredded grass, flowers, dirt, stone and dust had settled, a surprised Weiss Schnee could be seen standing at the epicenter, still in her night gown."

"Dammit, Ruby! Why couldn't you have just made that convenient comment earlier?"

Ruby pulled out a pocket watch, and offered a quick observation. "Thats twelve hours of worry, Weiss. Where were you?"

_We were at that... Place... The in-between place, for ten hours? It felt no longer than half a minute. _

"Not sure... It only felt like two hours. Maybe Drexel could explain."

However, the kidnapper was nowhere to be found. But the little feisty fire ferret was in plain sight, clearly in distress. The animal was standing atop some strange heap under a black traveler's cloak that resembled a body, beyond question, broken.


	11. Genesis

_Drexel's mind_

A massive, white room, with black pillars and no windows shaped as void yet having infinite edges and angles between the numbers limited only by the genesis and revelations of human/faunus imagination and time. The ultimate beautify, as plain as the 255 shades of grey that any programmer who has dabbled in graphical interfaces could tell you about, whilst as plain as the calmed sea lit by the darkness and moon.

This is what surrounds me.

This is what I see when I close my eyes.

And now I have no intention in the infinite and limited world to raise my eyelids, why would anyone commit such crime?

But I am a criminal.

This is a place where the imagination and the reality, both the ones that we live in and fail to accept meet. Because I know the definition of reality since I chose one to keep for myself, and this room, immaculate throughout the ages is the reality I have accepted. I my mind from the broken body, which I have destroyed yet only just managed to preserve through the system I have called the exo-suit. But no longer will that hideous, black painted monstrosity to shame my ancient kin and the one real God who gave us our knowledge. The exo-suit was designed to replace my bone skeleton, save my spine (where the giant, irreplaceable nerve will simply be reinforced). While my physical eyes remain closed, the hidden systems within the suit will change that physical puppet that this language calls 'body' into the weapons system that will be feared. But it will only be used for my eventual self-sacrifice.

Because, this is what surrounds me.

This is what I see when I close my eyes.

And now I have no intention in the infinite and limited world to raise my eyelids, why would anyone commit such crime?

But I am a criminal. However this is where I belong, in this room of infinity, where I will find the lore-masters of old, and join them in the slumber in this infinite labyrinth of peace.

This is my penance. Begin, my confession.

My ability to scy predates the time that I became self conscious. And from scying, which is the ability to look into the past and future, I may attain knowledge that would elude any ordinary living creature that could maintain a true soul. I am a lore-master, and from my birthright, I may gather onto my memory that which has been lost and found between the folds and cracks of the layers of time itself. Even memories, and emotions. Feelings.

Of course my collision with Ruby Rose was intentional, I foresaw and acted upon it. Despite common belief, time is not the weapon of the fates which shackle us to our predestined paths decided by a force far greater than plain imagination. Time is the illustration of all the possible paths that it is capable of taking. I chose that path, because it allowed me, a guardian of time, to take a stand against the two humans that would let the world I have been created to protect, burn. Cinder and Roman... I loved them as siblings. But they are evil, and I cannot be the same.

This I formed this charade, to fulfill the task assigned to me at birth. Ensure that the capture of Weiss Schnee would not give the forces of evil the ransom money they needed to fund their methods into potential success. It worked. The bunker which had been destroyed was designed by lore-masters who had destroyed themselves so that they could remain in service to Cinder, and that their dark spite would bring the living world with them. The betrayal was necessary, as no other method could permit entry to the hidden fortress. Two hours to break me? The greatest lore-master to ever wander time? More like two hours for Steve to set the suitcase charge, a weapon six times greater than her size. _I wish I could see the destruction. The fire. The death of Roman and Cinder.  
><span>_

Mission accomplished... But not the way that I intended.

Because in two months, I will fall for the Maiden of Frost. The Princess of Snow. The Queen of Ice.

My gift is my curse. Because scrying grants me, the emotions of the future. But, I am the only lore-master in the infinite history to ever be given the power of scrying.

Therefore, the calculated truth, carries an incalculable consequence.

_I always loved her._

I must go back, and open my eyes: as the criminal who walks away from an eternal beauty and mystery, for preference of something far more temporal. It will be torcherous.

_This is my penance. _

The creation of the black rose was an act in pain, because the bitter despair and intoxicating succulence of the emotions which I had far yet to initiate... If that rose was created at the time of when its memory was formed, the petals would have no color. Because color is an ignorance, the ignorance of discrimination between the different tastes of the complex world that really are just one.

Can you describe no color? Shades are also off limits. It cannot be black. White. Or any hue, tint, shade... It is something foreign to those who have not seen the touch of dawn's first light at the beginning of time. You do not understand the soul crushing darkness that comes with the bitter, true end.

Thats right. You can't even describe what no color is.

_So how can anything upon earth take her from me?_

Please, Weiss. Just don't walk away.


	12. Exodus

_Beacon's Medical Wing - Headmaster Ozpin's Point of View_

The police, military, and civil elements of the government all wanted to take custody of Drexel. Therefore it was only natural that the teenage boy was transferred to Beacon since it was the only middle ground that everyone could accept. It had the medical facilities at a caliber beyond the capacity of the local hospital, and was seen as the place where Drexel, given age and capacities should have been in the first place. Another element of the reasoning, was that Drexel (despite being a Hunter) paradoxically lacked any practical direct hand-to-hand combat abilities, save the hat of tricks, particularly the ability to scry through time, that came with solitude and study of being a lore-master. Furthermore, all the parties that direct influence on the relocation of the strange Drexel, could also agree that the professors and headmaster of Beacon would be the best people to glean every bit of worthwhile knowledge from a living tome, would be the people most experienced in delegating knowledge to others.

There is one small problem. Drexel is dead, his body would never repair itself from his teleportation stunt. He had used a barrier of energy which he fueled with his soul itself, the source of an individual's aura. _Loremasters. They discover everything we know, only to be the people who understand it the least._ With this misguided teenager, the secrets of Argentum will finally die. His hideout which he lived within over the last six years was raided and destroyed. According to Weiss Schnee, there had been an explosion which probably destroyed the two criminals that raised and protected him. Everything seems to just work perfectly. But I know that these supposedly dead characters in a story too strange to be fiction had never been inside this bunker at all. Rather, they had been caught in a confrontation with police in a recent dust raid against a large shop. Naturally the police lost.

The body will be destroyed, along with the argentum contained in the suit designed to power what could have been an unstoppable force... If the armor was completed.

As I walked to the bed where the dead body lay, along with Weiss Schnee (who strangely was insistent on learning if her apparent kidnapper was healthy) and Glynda, the corpse began to disintegrate. At the last moment, a dead arm, while the torso was still intact had raised it's hand flat, palm facing the celing to the Heiress. She took the rose which materialized upon it: a strange thing, for it had no color.

Then the last bits of the body vanished.

Why do I keep looking at this moment with a perspective of it being the past?

_Because I cannot help but feel, that a disaster is to come in the future._

* * *

><p><em>The Local Supermarket - Canned Goods Istile<em>

A cloaked figure behind a shopping cart stood before the shelf where a series of varieties of canned tuna were stacked. The person then began to transfer an excessive quantity of canned tuna and any other type of contained meat or fish that the unknown figure could lay his hands on. But he hadn't noticed the girl wearing a black bow not too many paces away doing the exact same thing, who had been curiously studying him for quite some time.

"Hey... Guy in the cloak."

The person looked up, prompting Blake Belladonna to drop the metal container of tuna that she was in the process of placing in her cart.

"Drexel? They said that you're dead!"

The dark haired youth gave a nervous chuckle. _Well. This is going to be an awkward explanation..._

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the lack of updates and material. I have been busy for some time now with matters outside of my hands.<strong>


	13. Struggle for Redemption

_Beacon Gardens - Drexel's Point of View_

"So you're also a faunus. Not just any kind, but a cat fanus?"

I nodded to Blake's inquiry. I never particularly enjoyed this style of questions and answers, but I cant keep team RWBY and anyone else they are directly affiliated with as allies as my adversaries any longer. Besides, if I intend to infiltrate my way into attending this school, life would be much easier if I was not constantly at the throats of those who also attend it. Perhaps I could even have these three other girls control the one named Ruby Rose. She clearly is at least a year younger than the others, perhaps whoever is their team leader is capable of keeping a lid on that massive scythe.

"I can't help but doubt you."

I hate being this accommodating to a person I hardly even trust? Not exactly a desirable action, but who knows? Never met another cat fanus before, this could be interesting. Pushing back the mass of jet black hair, a pair of velvet black and pink cat ears now become visible where at which point, Blake stands up a slips over... And pinch twists one of the ears, triggering a very aggressive yell from yours truly.

"Ow..."

It took approximately a total of 0.3 seconds for my brain to detect the pain, figure what the other faunus was doing, form a knife with the same dark material that I previously formed a longsword with, and take a wild slash at the other cat's face. The only thing that kept her head from being severed from her torso, was the fact that both of us, have the reflexes of a cat. After causing my quickly formed blade to vanish just as easily as I made it disappear, I could not help but sound just a little sadistic in my next set of words.

"Hey Blake, lets see your ears."

Before looking left and right to ensure that the area was indeed deserted (owing to the fact that it was 2AM), she removed her black silk bow, exposing the delicate and nearly identical car ears poking up from her scalp. This time with much more formality and just an inkling of respect, I asked another question.

"But are they real? If you don't mind, of course."

The girl bowed her head in consent, to which I raised both hands over her head and extending my index fingers above and behind the ears. Focusing my thoughts, I closed my eyes, and a weak bolt of electricity jumped from each finger, to behind the respective ear. The result was exactly the reaction I had anticipated: scratching a cat, or cat faunus behind the ear does little more than trigger a nerve. But direct electrical stimulation? _Thats long enough._ Breaking my concentration and the electrical feed, I resumed my seat under the willow tree which seemed so convenient.

Blake's eyes still closed from the ordeal, I couldn't help but chuckle. "Why, you are indeed a cat faunus."

"I'm surprised that you didn't even try to draw any blood."

I shook my head. "No, that was far more cruel. My actions consisted of a short electrical impulse, at a high intensitivity and targeting a nerve triggering a common response to a very sensitive nerve. That will torment you."

As Blake answered, I could not help but offer a cruel smile. "I thought lore-masters were supposed to be people who reached for something greater?"

"No, Blake. Lore-mastery is just a beautiful name that a handful of people who reached understanding that their semblances had carried some correlation with manipulating energy. All these people with these moderately common semblances got together some thousand years ago. They who appreciated the sciences and poetry as well as any other form of fine art lingered, and became masters of these things. The knowledge was passed down through recorded stories of lore, and those who could understand the old and add the truths understood anew... We call them lore-masters. Strength is not decided just by power in semblance, but knowledge of your semblance and its limits."

"You're little group of hoodlums are just a pack of sorry nerds who wasted your lives trying to understand the nature of things nobody cares about."

"Rather, good lady, we're a group of enlightened hoodlums who are a large series of intellectuals who have used multiple lives, jumping from lab fabricated body to lab fabricated body, unlocking the delicious secrets in a world too ignorant to..."

Picking up a can of tuna from one of her grocery bags, the girl waved a hand and interrupted the self acclaimed poet.

"Why did you kidnap Weiss?"

Silence.

"Well..." _I never actually explained this to anyone before..._ "Some lore-masters... Are better at some things than others. Even to the point of being totally unique."

"Go on."

Taking a breath, he obliged. "Scrying is the art of seeing into the future. But I can also see into the past. Some lore-masters in truth have some ability to do this, but they do not see what I see clearly or with any accuracy. I can gather knowledge. Emotions which I have previously felt, or have yet to feel. I can see things yet to pass, or reveal the truth of actions which were buried."

I put my hood on, shrouding my face. "But thats not where your interest lies." At this point, my voice became a hiss. "Is it, Miss Belladonna?"

She shook her head, and pressed the question I knew that only time prevented her from asking.

"Weiss said that you called Torchwick brother, and some girl, sister."

I slowly turned my shrouded head to the faunus, as she was in the process of reinstalling her silk bow upon her head.

"Roman, or as you know him, Torchwick, raised me along with the girl known as Cinder. Cinder is in charge, not Torchwick and not to mention, far. More. Dangerous."

At this point, Blake unsheathed her sword for use as a tool in opening a can of tuna.

"Here... this is better..."

Raising my hand up, flat, a hybrid utensil which at one end is a spoon at at the other a knife forms of the same black material as I just attempted to use in killing Blake.

"What is this even made out of?"

"It is void lacking any substance, which not is even substanceless. It is nothing, and in this world where everything consists of matter?"

I form a second in my hand, and open a can of some of my own tuna.

"It cuts not only as well as steel, but in a superior method than any other engineered modern metal. Its blade will scar and score titanium without effort."

With ease, we cleanly cut away the lid to the delicious canned fish. I raise my can, in a form of toast.

"To potential friendship, and purging supermarkets of their canned, fishy goodness."

We tap our cans of fish, and proceed to silently devouring their contents with our hybrid spoon blades. Sitting among nearly a dozen plastic bags of every variety of canned fish under the willow tree at the wee hours of the morning, I rested my head against the large, solid tree.

"This time, Miss Belladonna, I have an inquiry to tempt you."

"What is it, Drexel?"

"How does one inform a lady that despite the fact that she watched you disintegrate on your deathbed, that you somehow managed to survive?"

"Uh... You earlier mentioned that you learned how to shape-shift into a black cat. Befriend her as a cat, maybe?"


	14. Cunning chapter name

_Beacon Academy - Drexel's Point of View_

Naturally the attempt to slip through enemy lines as a cat, failed. Who knew that Ruby liked cats so much? The instant he wandered ignorantly into her reach, he was manhandled in methods he did not dream possible in the darkest sessions of scry meditation, that none of the darkest demons could have ever synthesised in eternity. Once again, I shuddered at the events of the previous day which had passed where I was literally leashed and kept watch over. The events which had began late that morning only ended when she laid down to sleep with me as a cuddle toy at which point I slipped away instantaneously with ease. The lack of a leash always changes things.

At least Blake didn't reveal my disguise or the fact that I wasn't dead. But I guess that the second stated secret, is a secret no longer.

This is for the reason that hooded and cloaked in my black traveler's cloak, I had marched right into the grounds and walked in full view of the pedestrian traffic (although in honesty, few people are even aware of my existence, both 'previous' and current nor care) and pushed my way in through the doors leading to Ozpin's office. Naturally, the headmaster gave a start when confronted by a person he thought had disintegrated into death.

"Drexel?"

"Ozpin?"

"You're... Alive?"

"Yes, don't be too surprised... Ozpin, Headmaster and trainee Lore-Master."

"What? Drexel, who told you this?"

I walked up the the large desk that he was seated behind, and picked up a glowing glass orb seated on a cushion.

"You went looking for the artifact of light. Three years ago, I stole it and replace the real thing with this Christmas decoration. It sounded rather witty at the time, and dearest professor, I still revel in my forethought."

"Dammit, Drexel, I put weeks of my life into finding this! Its supposed to grant wisdom... Or something..."

"Yeah? Its just a dark matter powered energy generator, it puts dust powered nuclear reactors to shame. I used it to eliminate my electric bill, the savings are astronomical. I was considering its deployment towards powering this city for twenty years without cost... But my electric bill is actually very, very..."

"Large?"

"No, dearest professor, I don't pay for electricity."

Through the greatest facepalm of the ages, worthy of months worth of memes, the man showed his exasperation for the teenage boy.

"Only a Lore-Master could have known about it, Ozpin. But a rookie would have known that the senior Masters go out of their way to swipe the greatest artifacts for their own petty use and replace them with cheap Christmas decorations."

"Drexel, what do you want?"

"I would like to undergo the trials necessary so that I might attend your school for the next three years."

* * *

><p><em>Team RWBY Dorm<em>

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty... Where are you, shadow?"

To hearing this for the seventeenth time this morning, Yang got up from her chair and crossed her arms.

"Honestly, the deal was that the condition to a team pet was that you gave it a better name than Shadow."

"But Yang..." Ruby, had started up the whine in her voice that always seems to have a compelling effect on people's resolve. "I found him."

Laying upon her bed and hidden behind yet another book, Blake's amused voice could be heard.

"Trust me, you don't want him as a pet."

"Why not?"

"Because... Hey, why don't all of you sit down?"

Yang plopped down to a space on the floor, back against a wall. Ruby, quizzically took a seat.

"That Black thing that Ruby found yesterday?" Blake then made the most uncharacteristic giggle. "That wasn't entirely a cat..."

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Academy - Drexel's Point of View<em>

"Professor Ozpin according to copyright law Argentum is property of the Schnee Dust Company. Yes, I did return the data to them after quickly settling the alleged kidnapping with the local authorities. I must insist that you end this stream of blackmail, and dealt with me fairly. I am just as dangerous as you are."

Perhaps the last comment was rather pushing it, but this discussion has become too political for my tastes.

"Drexel, there's no way that I will permit you into any practical combat classes with your current track record."

_Fair enough._

"What if I made things a bit more profitable to you, sir?"

The Professor Ozpin leaned forwards upon his desk, interested.

"Well? What can you offer me that I don't have?"

I picked up the glowing glass christmas decoration from his desk, and tossed it to man (which he did indeed catch).

"My dear professor, not only will I give you the real sphere of glowing... Thingy..."

"Yes?"

"But I'll teach you how to summon a reclining leather chair, which can be vanished into thin air at will."

"Does it have a cupholder?"

"Two cupholders. I will also look to my own lodging, and you need not assemble or modify any teams to accommodate me."

At this exact moment, on the edge of brokering a deal, Glynda Goodwitch loudly threw the doors open and entered.

"You honestly cannot be taking this seriously! The boy is clearly dangerous!"

At this point I summoned a very sophisticated and beautiful floating leather armchair that had a set of two cupholders, and reclined in it. Like a gentleman.

"DEAL!"


	15. Entrapment

_Beacon - Bartholomew Ooblek's History Class_

Usually the only unusual event in this class, is either the significant quantity of caffeine downrange or the lack of it: sometimes prospective pranksters would switch Ooblek's coffee a less potent blend or spike it with a few espresso shots. But today, is not one of those days. This day, apparently to an orchestra of external references, sits a new strange figure cloaked from the barest of feet to dark cloaked head. But now is not the time to dwell upon such matters, as the silent brooding dark creature's identity is no mystery to team RWBY and a matter that costed Blake five Lier.

By a whisper to Blake, Yang could not help but remind the black and white clad teenager of the details to their bet. "Told you he would wear that black cloak on the first day."

Drexel, hearing this, turned his head to pair of girls on his right. "You guys took bets on me?"

Weiss, to his left nudged him with perhaps a little more force than required. "Trying to take notes here."

To this, the endeared hyperactive professor took the opportunity to center out the new kid. "Ah yes, Darth Sidious, could you explain to us why you chose to overlook this school's uniform protocols?"

"For the simple matter that I have not only failed to have the time required the particular garments in question, owing to a malady that I have recently attained affecting my respiratory system. Cough cough, please excuse my failure to contain the sarcasm."

"And since you appear to have such lack of control over your speech-" The professor then zipped halfway across the classroom in less than half a second. "There may be a chance that your academic knowledge of the subject may have improved." Another cross continental shift, to the other side of the large naval chart displayed in front of the class. "Care to share any other enlightening comments?"

"To the contrary, my fair sir. Cough cough. I beg pardon for my ignorance upon this tactical matter concerning wits, and recognize the reason why I am indeed a student at this splendid academy. I would like to request any additional coursework so that this spell of unpardonable precedence may not persist."

If it weren't for the hood, the teacher would have known perfectly well about the cheeky grin spread across the hidden face. Drexel had earlier planned with Sun Wukong that while the teacher was distracted, the monkey faunus would slip into class and deploy banana peels throughout the area that the teacher traversed most often. Literally from behind the professor, Sun popped out from his cover, gave a thumbs up to Drexel, a wink to Blake, and made his perfect getaway. The f_aunus brotherhood of two strikes again.__  
><em>

More than satisfied with with the result, the professor then attempted to return to his hyperactive gait... Only to achieve epic fall after wipeout, whichever direction he pursued.

At this point, Ren loudly whispered "Score one for the Weasleys".

With perfect timing, the bell rang with Drexel attempting to make a beeline for the exit. Despite his best attempt, Ruby with her semblance at maximum warp tripped the cloaked and hooded figure with Weiss and Blake dragging him off by the arms to the RWBY dorm.

"You." Weiss instructed. "You're coming with me."

Blake groaned, he knew that nothing good could come out of a situation where a group of four girls flanked him from both directions in a history class.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

**Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you. This story has now reached not only the ten follower mark, but the fifteen chapter milestone. Its not much, but to me? Well, readers and reviews are appreciated.**


	16. Discovery

_The Emerald Forest - Drexel's Point of View_

Having the foresight to set up a fixed teleportation glyph turned out to be a life saver. It was not anything like one of Weiss's powerful glyphs, where she could form runes in perfect symmetry in thin air, and cause destruction from apparent nothingness. This was the use of lightning, to flatten and smooth a very large boulder, hew stairs also of stone so that the top of the rock could be accessible, and burn the proper runes and other symbols onto the top surface of the recently flattened stone. No longer a simple element of the environment, this stone has now become a teleportation surface. Now with the use of any form of dust, a person who has been granted permission by the builder the the surface can use it to either hopscotch their way to other surfaces they have been granted access to, or simply visit this one for.

The location for the teleportation surface was not accidental: at the mouth of the stone stairs, is the face of a stone cliff reaching at least 180 feet high. At it's base, I face a door made from sheer steel. _The old folks were always paranoid... But not without reason. __This is the forest after all. _Placing my right hand at the center of the door, I pushed pulses of electricity from my body, through the metal. The whirring of gears and clicking of mechanisms now audible, the door separated down the middle into two halves, and open swinging the 15 inch doors outwards. Smiling happily, I walked back into the home that I had not returned to in a dozen years.

* * *

><p><em>RWBY Dorm<em>

The team of four girls, gathered around the glowing glyph on the ground which had replaced a sitting Drexel.

"Did you do this Weiss?"

"No... The last time I saw these glyph runes, was in that textbook talking about how glyph teleportation was theoretical."

The glowing circle with the various inscribed symbols began to then fade into nothingness, as if nothing had ever happened. Ever the practical one, Yang shared a rather relieved thought.

"At least those marks didn't burn the floor. If a professor found what he thought to resemble satanic looking markings and my little suitcase?"

Rather reproachfully, Ruby addressed her sister. "You said you got rid of your whips."

Hands on her hips, feeling confidant, Yang offered a boisterous reply. "Yep! And I found better ones!"

Weiss and Blake then exchanged a worried look. She _found_ them?

* * *

><p><em>The Emerald Forest - Drexel's Home and Point of View<em>

When people think of cave houses, rough cut walls and cold small rooms and corridors come to surface the mind of at least half of these people. To call them thinkers is an insult to philosophers. Four bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, two bathrooms, one library upstairs, cold storage in the basement, and a massive room dedicated to the mastery of the lore arts with a fireplace in the middle of it all. This small hideout. I took the name of Torchwick in honor of the thief and murderer who took me in, but I was born to a old bloodline of the faunus known for their ability to truly honor the title of lore-master. This is what they left me. Not a rough hewn embarrassment; a true cave, but a polished rare jem encased in hardwoods and marble. Yet it all is no more than a bauble.

At the very entrance, sits the living room before the fireplace, and an old face. Steve, laying before the fire all sprawled before the stone hearth: the only part of the house that has kept it's rough face so that it may encase the fire that keeps this otherwise cold retreat toasty. Something worth an even greater rarity: a smile. How long do fire ferrets live anyways? We were both born at around the same time, and this cynical mind hints to the chance that the end of our lives may be similar in unison.

How curious, that I have not only remember'd its key, but have kept it secret to my half brother.

* * *

><p><em>RWBY Dorm - Yang's Point of View<em>

"Don't even try to fool yourself, Blake. I'd bet any money that you really love me." _What can I say? Teasing the kitty requires professional know-how._

Rolling her eyes, the bow-bearer shrunk further into the realms of her book. "Please, Yang. We all know that your soft spot is for Junior, not some fanus girl." _Memories._

"The only reason why we can have this discussion, is because Weiss and Ruby decided to go off to sparring class, and that we're now late."

The librarian lives! Closing her book without even considering a bookmark, she jumped from her bed and raced to the door while leading me by the hand.

"Dammit Yang!"

* * *

><p><em>Airship to Beacon - Torchwick's Point of View<em>

"Ah, little brother, you know I appreciate it when you put time aside for me when you're so busy... And my, in your school uniform rather than your cloak. No longer a child."

The two of us alone as I had planned, It was nice being able to catch up.

"You owe me a cigar."

"Too true..."

Drawing a pair of cigars, I keep one and turn over the second to the black haired teenager.

"You really need a haircut. All this black, its getting untidy."

"And you never should have got me into smoking."

Drawing my lighter, I proceed to light my bundle of tobacco held in place between my lips. Drexel mirrored his actions, but using a conjured flame rather than traditional lighter.

"Drexel, you showoff."

"Roman, what brings you here?"

"I only want to know when you're going to drop the charade, since when have you mucked around with greatswords? You love your dual daggers that you summon from nothing... Its creepy how you do that... And how much you like fire... And killing things..."

Letting off a ring of smoke, the younger Torchwick offered a puzzling insight.

"If its so creepy, why did you lead me into it through most excellent example?"

"Because we can't just smoke together: we have to kill people too."

Drexel then gave me a light punch in the arm.

"I have no desire to fight you. For how much longer will you remain under Cinder's leash? Come away with me, this crime effort is becoming suicidal."

"No. Someone has to cover your disaster at the bunker, what were you thinking? The most I can do, is step back from the fight for as long as your mirror my gesture."

Bowing his head, Drexel resignedly huffed a reply.

"I suppose that it is a fair deal."

The airship now landed, I decided to reinforce my previous reminder.

"And seriously, drop the mindless rookie act. Form those things you call death's rose, and slice everything in your path. You promised that you would at least turn good marks in the sparring classes."


	17. Drop the mask, Drop the gloves

_Beacon - Sparring Class - Drexel's Point of View_

Death's rose. Why even a theme of roses? Can't we have nicer things, like a library or device that purges the lack of musical talent from the radio waves? But still. Death's rose, is a pair of daggers which moderately resemble throwing knives. They are essentially a long, double edged thin razorblade which are blunt and rounded at the bottom without any pommel for the sake of not cutting the wielder's hands off when deploying such a weapon system. Indeed, my hands which can sometimes be rather useful. But there is a secret to these eighteen inch blades: when held, knifepoint aiming to opposite directions the grips grow in length so that the result is a long, bladed quarterstaff I call the whirler. Should I ever need superior reach against a shielded enemy or a person who enjoys compensating weaponry for height *_cough cough, Ruby. cough* _that I might not end up on the short end of the stick.

Insert timed laughter *here*.

But thats not the best part.

These daggers, in staff or knife form absorb the kinetic energy that comes from the impact of an enemy's weapon against mine allowing me to literally throw my enemy's attack directly back upon them. My favorite way of doing this, is by using the staff as a lightning rod: blast them with as many electrical volts of their own strength as I please. The ability to collect this energy holds true with any weapon or shield that I form the "black stuff Blake and I use to eat tuna". Lets call it void, until I find something better to name it for.

This sparring class will be enjoyable. The knife lessons from Roman Torchwick in my early days and my arms confrontations with Cinder, alongside the months upon months worth of practice slitting throats as a criminal? Not to mention the fact that nobody has noticed the disappearance of the exo-suit, which has replaced my fragile bone structure thanks to the self disintegration I pursued not too long ago. The kevlar/carbon fibre/composite metal material that now makes up my bones gives a second advantage: rather than large cylinders attached to my back to carry argentum, the porous nature of my new bones absorb argentum better than how a sponge absorbs water. Pure argentum, pure chemical energy, not bound as any particular element like how naturally occurring dust is found. I can pair these weapons with my energy semblance to great effect.

Juggernaut.

Pushing through the large doors into the classroom, I could not help but notice one thing:

_Dammit, I'm late. _

Quietly taking a seat beside a blonde student, carrying a rather old shield and sword at his hip, I act as if I was in the classroom the whole time. Then, loudly bursting through the same entrance just moments later, Blake and Yang attract the full attention of the occupants of the room.

_But thankfully, someone else is later than I._

The disturbance had ensnared the attention of the professor who appeared to be holding... A whip? Does this woman by chance have any acquaintance with Yang? And right on cue, the blonde and dangerous teenage girl points to the professor's whip and whispered the following to her compatriot.

"See Blake? That's what I'm talking about, a real whip."

After Blake shot Yang a spiteful glare the two without any further adu from the stern professor, had quickly assumed seats which Weiss and Ruby had saved for them (thankfully some distance from me). Hold it for just moment's time, is Blake slightly limping? And there, she moderately winced when taking her seat...

_Hold it a moment... Weren't they just potentially discussing whips? _

Beyond such irrelevant, trivial matters, something much more engaging is at hand. Is this blonde to my right staring dreamily at Weiss?

"Today, class although we are in our second year, we are joined now by a new student..."

It appears that the professor... Yes, Glynda was her name, had initialized the lesson.

"... One that our faculty has been addressed as Darth Sidious..."

I could not help but notice a uniform snigger and glare invade my focus, coming from a group of four students named team CRDL... No matter, I will deal with them either now or later.

"... Has been acclaimed to be a rookie fighter. So for this reason..."

_Rookie fighter? Pardon me, Miss... Oh that's right, playing the part of weak._

"So, could both Drexel Torchwick, alias Darth Sidious, please take the floor with Jaune Arc?"

As I rose, I could not help but note that the blonde to my right also took to his feet. As we walked to the front, he had attempted to start a morsel of meagre conversation.

"Hey... Your Darth-"

Before the blonde could finish his thought, I shot him a glare causing the boy to cringe.

"Sorry Drexel."

_I refuse to be cute and cuddly upon the field of conflict for any longer._

As we took our corresponding positions upon the battle grounds, the lights dimmed and the crowd seemed to fade and ebb like the last sunset of winter. Whilst Jaune blunders about expanding his shield and drawing his sword; from nothingness I formed the _Death's Rose, _bothering to conjure black flames as they formed for effect.

"Didn't the professor lady say that you were some form of amature?"

"Indeed she did, my fair opponent. But if you indeed to gain strength over my own, you will be required to attain it through trial of arms and without weak banter."

Raising my blades, I pressed the advantage and took the initiative. Forcing the better armed opponent to defend himself against a fury of rapid knife thrusts and strikes, I eased up the volley to give the man-at-arms the space he needed to counter attack so that I could gain a taste of his strength and begin to gather the energy I needed for a finishing move I so longed to use: a deadly bolt of lightning from the whirler.

_Besides, it can be such fun to play with one's food._

As the battle heated and continued into a edgy duel of swordplay and knives, I had soon felt the shift of atmosphere I was anticipating: the bolt is ready. With a back roundhouse kick containing enough force to propel the young knight some distance away, I used the opportunity to expand my weapons into the one weapon that will finish the Arc. Eyes bulging, he could not contain his surprise to my change in armament.

"They said that this wouldn't be on the final exam!"

Withdrawing a blindfold of black silk (for no other reason that I am a prideful jealous kid with a massive toy) I begin to tie it around my eyes. Knot finished, I sharpen my focus, using my energy semblance to feel for and detect the body heat of the other dualist.

_Eyes are deceitful. But being able to see the heat from the body of my enemy, the electrical impulses begin to pass through the adversary's body thus spoiling his next action... Who needs color when they have truth?_

We the paired fighters, closed the distance within two meters. Circling each other, perhaps Jaune's method of disorientating me, it did not take long for the swordsman to take his chance with a brutal overhead slash... Which I had stopped stone cold. Holding the staff weapon horizontally over my head with two hands, I took his moment of surprise to kick him with a simply lash of the foot, to lower my weapon and point the tip at his center of mass.

The gasps of surprise from both the Arc and audience were palatable, as the bolt of sheer electrical energy sent Jaune up off his feet, flying several feet backwards.


	18. Recovery

_Beacon Sparring Room - Drexel's Point of View_

Needless to say, I won the sparring match. But it has been some time since I won anything, so naturally I must savor this pitiful moment. The lights undimmed. Confident, I look up at the meters showing our aura levels... Where my disposition shattered. I had killed my opponent.

Everybody was frozen, not even the particularly strict professor had much to say on the matter.

_No! I walked away from this path of a murderer after... That. I refuse to return to this._

Running to the body of the apparently dead swordsman, I sink to my knees and strip off his armor and shirt.

_Even if it costs me my life._

Rubbing my hands together, I raised them above my head. Concentrating, I focused my mind to the resources around me. Sapping the heat from the room, the argentum which I had stored within me for emergencies, and leaching my own aura and soul, I placed my hands on the corpse's bare chest.

_If the crowd was restless before, I suppose they can now prepare for a real shock._

There are more to the living, than a heartbeat and pulse. Even if both those things stop, their souls linger for just minutes, clinging to their body. People have been influencing souls to return to bodies which had not been damaged too badly for many years. Lore-Masters are more than just pretty faces. Realizing that I needed more energy, I began to siphon excess body heat from the crowd now starting to gather around me, and those still sitting in the stands.

_Its just waste energy. The spectators won't need it._

Now understanding better the state of the fallen duelist, I began to first force the soul back into the body. At this point, the aura meters on the wall detected a sliver of life re-awaken within Jaune. But there was significant damage to his internal organs.

_There is no avoiding it now. I must transfer some aura, otherwise he will be trapped in a comatose state for a very long time._

The last thing I can remember, was watching my aura meter begin to fall into the red, as I could feel Jaune's body begin to repair itself. In my final slivers of consciousness, I watched the Arc's bare skin begin to glow white.

_What? His aura is much more powerful than this... Why didn't it block my lightning? He should have resisted the deadly bolt at the very least! _

It was after this discovery, that Jaune simply sat up, and regained his full strength. With my own aura in the red and the last of my energies ebbing, I slumped over onto my back and allowed myself to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Medical Wing - Drexel's Point of View<em>

Since when did this many people ever bother to visit? As I opened my eyes, I could see the faces of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang not too far away. Even Jaune Arc, was standing at the doorway to the medical wing, chatting idly with with Sun. This is when Jaune had spotted that I had awaken, and made his way over to my bedside.

"So the resurrectionist has awaken. How'd you do that?"

I attempted to sit myself up, but found that I lacked the strength to do so.

"Its a simple thing. My semblance is energy, and you needed a little boost. What's your semblance, Jaune?"

The blonde boy never got a chance to answer, as his answer got sidelined by a mini-interrogation courtesy of Yang.

"Drexel, the professor said your last name was **Torchwick**?"

_Oh no._

"Yes, I am related to Roman Torchwick by blood."

But to this answer, Ruby seemed puzzled and offered an insight of his own.

"But... You're a faunus... How can you two be related if your brother isn't a faunus?"

_What? Wait, that is strange..._

Not expecting a revelation which I didn't understand, I quickly rolled out a reply.

"Hes... My big brother, and he looks after us. He would never hurt me or Steven."

Now very much interested, Weiss picked up the tempo. "Hold it, you never answered my question."

_Does this mean that he lied? No, Roman would never lie to me! He looks after me and Steven!_

"He would never hurt me ot Steven. Roman looks after us."

Then again, and again, whatever they asked me, I would do nothing more than give the same repetitive answer. Doing this more so to assure myself that nothing was wrong, and that they only intended to get between Roman, Steven and I. He was right, that first day I left to come to beacon. He also told me that other people are jealous: and do nothing more than to part what remained of a broken family, and an even more broken Lore-Master.


	19. Revelaton

_Beacon Medical Wing - Weiss's Point of View_

What a day. This morning, Drexel killed Jaune. Then, Drexel brought Jaune back from the dead AND triggered his unknown semblance.

Then Drexel nearly died. Did I mention that Pyrrah wants to fight Drexel?

Now it looks like the same Drexel just had a minor mental collapse.

_If I knew that the day would be this eventful, I would have brought popcorn._

Then the headmaster asked that two teams would keep watch over the casualty once the half-dead Darth Sidious in fear that Torchwick (his older brother?) would come to kill him in his sleep. Somewhat ironic and contradictory to the one sentence that the faunus never stopped repeating. Only to top it all off, it was only now that her father bothered to tell her that the deal concerning getting Drexel's liquid dust technology did not fail, but that the computers appear to only have had a 'minor glitch'.

How on earth am I going to hate a guy who my father seems to love (because the teenager quadrupled the company's profits), killed the most annoying person in the school (exception of Ruby when she managed to eat more than her daily cookie ration), and then brought the dead blonde back to life, sacrificing his strength and sanity. There's also the beautiful colorless rose that he left which I decided to keep. Its a pity that the black rose wilted, and strange how it disintegrated into dust. As in, explosive dust. None of the engineers could explain the phenomenon, maybe if I could have a moment alone with Drexel, I could ask him. It might bring a few other answers alongside it.

Finally in frustration, the others decided to walk away, and give up. Strange how the instant I wanted the partial solitude, I immediately got it...

"Drexel? Remember how you left that black rose? Do you know why it disintegrated into explosive dust?"

Confused, the weak Lore-Master looked down, clearly in thought. _Don't you dare play dumb, I am technically your boss even now. _  
>After a moment passed, I decided that I had enough. I have no time for someone just playing with my mind. The second before I was about to start turning away, he spoke.<p>

"You kept it?" It seemed that he was rather affected by my keeping the rose. Did the gesture mean that much to him?

"Yes... I thought it was beautiful, it reminded me of-"

"Your mother."

Surprised, I could not help but ask for just a few more details. "You knew her? How?"

Warily, Drexel replied "We met, shortly before she died."

How... Did he know? Only two other people know that she died. Winter, my father, her killer, and the clergyman who presided at the funeral. No, hes probably lying. He couldn't be any of those people.

"Drexel... Don't lie to put me off. I want to know why you think Torchwick is your brother."

"He would never hurt me or Steven. Roman looks after us."

_Thats enough. _As I got up, Drexel continued.

"Thats what he told me a long time ago."

Silence. Maybe I can coax a little more from him...

"Drexel... Remember, back in the garden?"

Hesitantly, he nodded.

"I need you to tell me everything. You know why."

* * *

><p><em>Drexel's Story, After the Shooting (Part Three) - Age: 11 - Seven Years Ago - Drexel's Point of View<em>

_The following are the details of before that of which I will entrust to Weiss Schnee, and her alone._

The chaos and pain was palatable. Someone important was clearly killed, and someone far less important knew what was going to happen next. Slipping through the bushes with a high powered archaic rifle, a weapon called a L115A3 which uses a chemical propellant and metal shot rather than a pure dust shot.

Something that you can only find on the black market, and never in the hands of an eleven year old. But not today.

Those who had killed the woman known as Mrs. Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company were clearly sending a message, but they weren't done yet. The next goal, was to take a pair of prisoners for additional leverage. The first death and kill which the adults in black had seen to were a message, to prove that they not only meant business, but had no qualms in harming, torturing, or even killing the dead mother's two daughter that they intended to then kidnap. Weiss Schnee, and Winter Schnee. Unless someone acted in interjection, the clearly flawless plan would work, and those who should not have power, would then gain it.

But in my hands here is a deadly weapon which will penetrate any anti-dust armor with ease, which already has one bullet in the chamber and four more in the clip.

Enough good people have died today.

Taking the silenced weapon and using an impression in the earth surrounding me, I acted to weaken those who would otherwise overwhelm the compound's small security force.

Each time I pulled the trigger, a brass shell casing and one, sometimes even three of the invaders would fall dead. Depending on if they lined up properly.

It took very little time for the ammunition to deplete. I deliberately chose not to fire my last eleven rounds. Because every time I would reload fully before moving to another form of cover, I would chamber one round and reload again so I would have a total of six shots in the weapon.

Ready for use.

_But the remainder of the story must wait, for the interlopers that are the other students: my peers, have decided to now eavesdrop. _


	20. What We Don't Say

_RWBY Dorm - _ Late Evening - _Blake's Point of View_

Everything that Drexel had told Weiss was intended to be secret. Naturally, Weiss told her three roommates. But the worst part, was that every detail fit perfectly with what Weiss remembered of the day that her mother was shot by a sniper round during one of the few times that her entire family spent quality time together. A dark misfortune.

The police were never able to explain the metal rounds that were used to obliterate the incoming hostile riflemen. The plan of the interlopers was simple: shoot the woman, triggering the security evacuation protocol. Intercept the remainder of the family while they were in transit, without protection and leave with the two daughters. Simple and elegant, possible with the inside knowledge that had been acquired.

It wasn't until her mother's death, that Weiss's family had been able to get any evidence as to who their enemy was, who had killed other friends and family members previously, but the dead made by the now identified sniper had given all the proof the Schnee's and the police could ask for. The white fang was responsible for the slaughters, beyond doubt.

Nobody, however expecting that an eleven year old had changed the tides.

I had suspected that Drexel might have acted to defend Weiss before. But not like this. The invasion that assailed the grounds then called for a revision within the Schnee dust company's central security program, which resulted in nothing less than the creation of a small, efficient army.

But how did Drexel know so much? What was he doing with such a rare weapon, particularly as an eleven year old? No doubt he was there on Roman Torchwick's instruction, why else would he be so armed and ready for such a thing at a young age? Overall, Drexel's retainer probably brainwashed, if not influenced Drexel into thinking that the pair of them were blood relatives. Chances are that Torchwick saw a young marksman, killed the boy's parents, and conveniently at some point became Drexel's keeper. As a criminal's enforcer, it would be easy for this guy who had so easily destroyed Jaune to gain the practice he needed in not only combat, but to so easily kill.

Naturally the others, each on their consecutive beds had their own doubts about my theory. Each of them saw Drexel through a less harsh lens, easily willing to believe that Drexel's latest waves of influence were his twisted attempts, warped from isolation from civil society, and obscured by his past experiences to change into something better. Why else would he bring argentum to the Schnee Dust Company rather than to his big brother? He even modified Weiss's weapon to boost its capacity, now beyond question another direct attempt to protect the heiress and prove himself to be in her father's service.

Not to great surprise, Weiss embraced this with the greatest ease. There was, however, one detail that I decided not to enlighten the others on.

According to Weiss, the wound patterns on her mother were consistent to those on her family's attackers. How many snipers with unique and rare metal firing rifles, seen mostly in criminal organizations arrive at the exact same location to destroy a target? The only thing preventing me from accusing Drexel of killing also Weiss's mother, was that he had destroyed those who would have taken Weiss and Winter.

But how did he also know their plan to kidnap?

Every sentence cries 'confession', and yet... Overall? Drexel never answered Weiss's question.

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Hospital Wing - Late Evening - Drexel's Point of View<em>

I know I shouldn't have. My weakness is proof of this. One slip of control, and I would have died.

But I had to scry into the past, and search for the answers I knew I wouldn't want. Speaking to Weiss did little more than to light my suspicion into a new truth: I cannot fully trust myself. Not where memory is concerned. How did I overlook these things so easily? Torchwick is to me, as a tree is to a bird: totally foreign, but accepted as ally against the falling rain. I knew that Cinder was not my sister, but I called her family because she tolerated me just a little more than she tolerated Roman. That was significant to me, a lost cause without anyone he could go back to. But why would I go back to a collection of rogues, when I could easily rebuild here?

It was here that my concentration was broken, by a red little fire ferret that had slipped its way inside the building, and now is sitting on my abdomen.

"Hey Steve. Did you read my note?"

The little fire ferret did what appeared to be a facepalm. _Naturally, you got yourself beat up again._

"Hey, I have to be consistent with something. Steven, what is this object?"

Around Steven's neck, hung a tiny vial from the string. I attempted to reach for it, but the little creature stepped back.

"Whoops, where are my manners?"

Digging through a pocket, I managed to find a bit of dried bacon.

"I'll trade you, one for one."

Of course, the vial of pure argentum around Steven's neck was worth more than the bacon, but the creature only bothered to fetch what she knew her childhood friend needed, because she knew he had bacon. Trading one item for another, I finally attained the small flask. Unstoppering it, I sniffed the liquid contents.

_This was the argentum that I gave to Steve in case that she ever needed a healing balm. This is the purest brew I made, and I had put it aside for her. Never tell me that animals aren't sentient, or at least, that fire ferrets cannot feel._

Knocking back the fluid, I shuddered, nearly the fire ferret who was nibbling on her bacon to fall on her side.

_Dammit Drexel, I'm busy here!_

"Sorry, sorry. Hey, you know how strong some of this stuff can get."

Taste aside, the reaction from drinking the argentum was worth it. A reminder to why needles are always better. I could finally feel my strength returning to me, as my aura had brought itself to a state no longer in danger of breaking and fading out.

"You're a good friend, Steven."

_Yeah, yeah, just keep the food coming._

Damn fire ferrets and their attitudes.


	21. Gathering

_Beacon Medical Wing - Drexel's Point of View_

I can finally stand on my two feet again with the assistance of a walking stick. Rather than choosing a wooden walking stick, I formed a device of my own: a black stick with a skull pommel which by pulling on the stick, allowed me to draw a short sword hidden within the walking stick. Still wearing my clothes that I had worn when I entered the school hospital, I walked over to the small bucket containing the items that were on my person when I had been brought to the hospital. Curious how they managed to find my switchblade, wallet, and scroll, but missed the pouch of dried bacon. Remembering the dried meat, I removed a piece for myself, and chewed upon it absentmindedly.

_The place is deserted. Its quiet, as if I had walked through time backwards to the time when I had been entertaining myself in a chemist's dream: trying to make stable argentum. It seems almost an eon ago, that it had been only Steven and I in a bliss of solitude, disturbed on occasion by the then welcome Roman, sometimes even with Cinder tagging along. How quiet. How beautiful._

At this exact moment, Yang fire punched her way through the door, with a much more restrained Weiss following not too far behind.

_Moment over. Such a pity._

Beginning the dialogue, was the frost lady herself.

"Hey Drexel, you still owe me the rest of that story."

"Hey Weiss, I owe you and your kin much more than that."

Thrown off balance by the dark tone of how I answered, the Schnee stopped dead in her tracks. Yang, however had not skipped a beat and kept the tempo of the conversation alive.

"You realize that Ruby's birthday is on Saturday? For the record, thats in two days."

"No Yang, I did not know that. Nor does it concern me, for the reason that I am not expected to linger around to participate in the corresponding events."

Confirming my fear, Yang offered a short laugh. "I beg to differ, little kitty. We all expect you to... Linger around to participate in the corresponding events."

Shooting the Blonde an annoyed look, I gave a short retort. "And I beg to differ, _Blondie_. I have been instructed to report to the Schnee Dust Company's primary factory, in order to install some new Argentum equipment and I cannot slip my way from Mr. Schnee's grip so easily."

Instantly, Yang turned to Weiss with a clear, unspoken question.

"No Yang, my Father refused to postpone this. There's nothing I can do."

Ruby's birthday would mean something significant to both Ruby, Weiss, and the rest of their team. Not to propose an alternative would be requesting mistrust and failure.

"Yang, there is an alternative. I suppose you are beginning the festivities a day early?"

Stepping in, Weiss seemed to be demanding some form of straightforwardness "Drexel, what are you suggesting?"

"Make it a two day party. She'll never see it coming, we surprise her a day early, and you take her off guard by continuing it the next day."

Surprisingly, Yang turned to be the first of the two which decided to question practicality. "We're having her birthday as it is now at Beacon so we can use the kitchens, and have the space to do our thing. They will never let us make it a two day event, getting the space for a single day was like pulling teeth!"

Raising my right hand to staunch the questions, I gave my offer. "Then hold the first day at my place. I'll look after food and such, you know I can cook, the fact that you haven't given me my pot back proves it. I'll make a second cake, and you can use it whatever day you please."

This time, Weiss was the one to poke suspicion. "Your place? Don't you live at Beacon like the rest of us? Besides, we have classes and this place you could be talking about could be a total... Well..."

I knew perfectly well what the Heiress was suggesting, and I couldn't blame her for being a sceptic. I also knew that no teenager would ever turn down a double party, particularly one away from the strict governing boarding school which would be held at the house of a chemist. However, there was no way of them knowing the quality of the facility in question.

"Weiss? Yang? Get Blake and meet me here in ten minutes. Trust me, this is going to be good."

* * *

><p><em>Ten Minutes Later - Drexel's POV<em>

Without warning the three schoolgirls, I rapidly formed the runes which resulted in glyph virtually without even their notice. After leading them to the metal doors of my cave house, I quickly explained what had happened and begged for their forgiveness due to the shock of teleportation and explained how it worked. I also instructed them how do to this themselves using only their mind, thus giving them formal permission to use my teleportation surface. Later I'll try to teach them how to use my surface in conjunction with other platforms, allowing long distance travel in seconds.

And now? Well now we are standing before those same, plain silver metal doors. Weiss was the first to make any observation, and appeared to peak in the place of the rest.

"The door look like argentum. But solid."

Placing my right hand on the center of the door, I paused for a moment to observe the nature of the door in question.

"Now that you mention it... Indeed, but I can assure you that the two substances differ exponentially."

The door now melting away before us, this rather ragtag group of four entered my previously secret home. _That reminds me..._

"How many people will be in attendance?"

"Lets see... Theres you, my team, and just about anyone that Ruby gets along with at Beacon."

Scratching myself on the neck, I quickly ran the numbers, quickly calculating that the primary room would be too small to accommodate such a gathering.

But now it appeared to be Blake's turn to speak. "Hey Drexel?"

"Yes, frost lady?"

After a very quick note of silence in the name of surprise assumed from all three of the girls to the method of my answer, Weiss simply pressed on.

"You and blake may be faunus, and can therefore easily see in the dark... But we can't."

Indeed they cannot, it seems that I had failed to turn the lights on... Where was the light switch again?

"Dammit... STEVE! LIGHTS PLEASE!"

After what appeared to be a few sarcastic squeaks the lights began to slowly start their gentle rise. This is when Yang and Weiss took their surprise to the dress of room and its woods, marbles, and other fine elements.

"You... Live here?" As Yang spoke, she plopped down on a leather couch. "Its far nicer than I thought... But there's no way we can fit everyone here."

As the blonde spoke, Weiss and Blake had begun to pick their way through the room examining the space in detail. In response to both our questions of fitting everyone within the small space, I raised my arms straight before me and spread my hands open. Gaining my full focus upon the area, I took full control of the room. Naturally my quests had displayed signs of concern and surprise as the walls began to fold into themselves and disappear into the floor as if they were never there. The bedrooms were now exposed without any dividing wall between them. The beds then slipped into the floor slowly, as the floor that they were standing on began to sink. Then, a platform then covered the holes where the beds were, leaving empty space as if there was nothing there.

"Now I expect you and the other guests to confine yourselfs to this floor. The basement and second level are areas not to be disturbed. I will lock the passageways to each of the corresponding locations, do not attempt to combat this. That is my only condition. Anything you might need will be brought down before hand personally by myself."

Nodding to my only instruction, the others had accepted the simple although strict wish.

"Let me know that you three need, I'll see to it. Decorate the place as you will... Don't destroy anything... Any special foods and such aside from that I will inform you of I will prepare... Is this a go?"

To this, Weiss raised a question. "This is going to be Friday? What about our classes."

To this, a cunning smile stretched across my face, equal parts mischief and destruction. "That's my surprise."


	22. Ensnarement

**Author's**** Note**

**Passed twenty chapters without noticing it with at least forty more to come. Maybe even a hundred total. As long as I see some quantity of writers pursuing the DiaL (Dust is a Liquid) story, I will continue to develop the plot according to plan. If there is enough support, I will open a group dedicated to the realm of Remnant, ands it's new shiny argentum and Lore-Master technologies thus ushering in a new Remnant altogether. However, this will require other writers who are willing to collaborate with others to turn DiaL into a world of its own, the ultimate extension of the mastermind and Uber Schriftsteller: Monty Oum, the owner of the series in particular.**

* * *

><p><em>The Cave House - Kitchen - Drexel's Point of View<em>

Naturally the other three members of RWBY wanted to be the ones to craft their friend's second birthday cake. But since the cake was really a giant cookie covered in chocolate brownie icing, a fourth set of hands would be required to convert this delusion into reality. _How quaint, if only Steven could have been that fourth person._

But rather, somehow I managed to land myself in the center of this tomfoolery. Is this elaborate plot really worth ensnaring Weiss's trust and favor? The things males do for the opposite gender no doubt confuse the greatest of philosophers since those particular men are probably the greatest fools for such fatal a flaw. Here I am, engaging in the ultimate flour war, which I have been destined to lose. Standing in the middle of the room, I remained there with back erect that I might valiantly command my whirlwind of the white powder against my temporary foes.

This was only halted by a white powdered Blake calling for an immediate stop. She mentioned something about a balance of shades between that which is indeed black and white, and shyly asked if she could borrow the shower and a method of cleaning the flour coated clothing.

_Strange how virtually all of their team suddenly warmed up to this strange Lore-Master._

Now, a clean Blake, and satisfied group of bakers stood around the giant cookie cake.

"I can store this morsel of sugar loaded goodness in a method that will keep it fresh and at this location." Taking off my rectangular, black glasses, I continued to speak. "We did good." Putting the set of lenses in a specially designed pocket within my person, I could not help but smile. Its a big cake.

The unsaid question was first addressed by Yang: "Are you sure that any of us will be able to handle this much sugar?"

I simply shrugged, replying "I'll just burn it all off if I find it overbearing."

"Wait, wait... Burn it off? Drexel, is your semblance fire?" It seems that Weiss catches on quickly.

"Nay dear one, my semblance is energy and its manipulation. Please be aware that the brain is little more than electrical impulse: my favorite type of pure energy. I can guess at one's thoughts with some accuracy due to practice based on the intensity and location of the impulses through the nerves, so please don't lie to me. Falsehoods are the easiest to detect within the brain, the fabrication is alike a violence within the synapses. I would very much like to maintain your team as something people call 'friends', and in return... I won't lie to any of you." _Wait, why am I saying this?_

Restlessly, the other three girls looked at one another. Weiss leading them forwards once again, she voiced the wish that all of them so clearly bore. _Of course she informed the others of what I so expressly requested her of not to do. No surprise there, roommates and sisters of prefered alliance over strange people who zap others with lightning._

"I am fully aware of how you alerted the others... Naturally I am unimpressed..."

_Wait... What is this? Do I sense shame, from the heiress for breaking the trust I never expected her to keep? How strange._

Raising her hand, Weiss made an attempt at responsability. "Well... I-"

Cutting her off, I simply continued. "Where I left off, was the ending, the third of three parts. The following of the unancient chronicle is the beginning, and upon a later date, I will elaborate concerning the middle. The following is said beginning in question."

* * *

><p><em><em>Drexel's Story, the Death of his Parents (Part One) - Age: 7 - Eleven Years Ago - Drexel's Point of View<em>_

Typical cliche autumn day. A sun weakened of its regular warmth, and just as cool air. A mess of beautiful leaves either ready to plummet slowly onto the forest floor, amid the said process, or beginning to wither slowly upon the ground to eventually become dirt. A perfect day for a game called _airsoft, _or _softair_ by others. As a short young kid with long black hair wearing black pants, and a shirt overloaded with pockets holding a bolt action rifle which fires plastic beads at high velocities and an electric pistol which works nearly identically (with a little less power) strapped to a leg. Looking back and forth alertly, I could sense that someone was slowly sneaking up on me thanks to the use of my energy semblance: the heat energy a person gives off alone is all I need to detect any potential hostiles.

Turning around quickly, I raised my rifle in a method that it would be point blank with the man wearing a white suit, black fedora, and cherry hair who had also raised his cane pointing it at my chest as a target reticle folded out from the tip of his walking aide.

"Pardon me sir, but I don't recall any adults claiming any desire to join our game."

"Game? Thats a dust rifle."

"No its not. It fires plastic, see?"

Quickly stepping back, I shot a tree so that the white plastic round would ricochet back and land at the well dressed man's feet. Lowering his cane to prod the bead, I look a seat on an old tree stump.

"A handful of friends and I are having a friendly competition."

"Yes? Well little boy, where's your team?"

Laughing, I easily reply: "Its me against eleven."

"Friendly competition?"

Darkly, I pull back the bolt on my high capacity drum barrel marksman's rifle. "They don't stand a chance."

"Then could you humor me, and wear this? I might have some... Competitions which desperately need a marksman."

Taking the black helmet with a camera attached from the man, I put it on. After the handoff, he pulled out a scroll.

"You want to watch my progress?"

"Yes I do. If you take out all eleven opponents, which are over there..." Pointing towards the west, he continued to speak. "I'll offer you a position on my... Airsoft team... And it pays very good money."

Grinning mercilessly, I nodded.

"You did not introduce yourself, sir."

"Indeed I didn't... My name is Roman. And yours is Drexel."

"I have a older brother named Roman, how quaint. Later I would be enthralled should you meet him, but now I would ask you how you know my name... No matter, I have a game to win. Enjoy the show."

Running off, I silently slipped through the bush, easily avoiding trodding upon the crunchy leaves using tree roots as a path. Before turning on the camera, I pulled a younger Steven out of a large ammunition pocket.

"Go on and scout ahead. You know what to do when you find anything, just make it more discrete.

* * *

><p><em>Ten Minutes Later - Drexel's POV<em>

The light machinegun nest of four operators cleared along with the three support long range marksmen and the scout assault squad of the remaining four boys had been cleared. Naturally, Roman had been surprised that a handful of schoolboys could assemble and operate in such a manner, with the defenders even employing short range two way radio systems and minefields to cover their flanks so that not even snipers could take the vulnerable positions.

But those minefields were based on bead launching weak explosives, which had been originally designed by me. These same small explosives, half buried in the group were also designed to be knocked out by a magnet of specific strength: the common mine detector would be too strong to detonate it, and a simple magnet would be too weak. But naturally, I had brought a small disc with a telescoping handle expecting such an occasion. The best part, is after three minutes, the mines would be re-activated. What had ensured my success, was that I took position within a weeping willow perfectly centered on the minefield. After taking out the snipers and a few other targets, I simply hid and let the minefield that my enemy had forgotten of to finish the job with the scouts.

The MG nest's gun crew, unprotected from any marksmen was an easy target.

And? All of this was caught on HD 3D video. Now, slowly walking home with with the stranger, we were discussing the highlights of the battle when I had stopped before the cottage that contained my family.

It was ablaze with what seemed to be one that day, hellfire. I could smell the burnt flesh of the dead inebriated by the flames of the burning wreck: my family. Once the unenterable ruin and finished it's burn, we had found my little sister who's legs had been charred beyond repair from the fire. She would never tell how she survived in such manner. All else found, were the corpses of my big brother, little sister, and parents.

Now on my knees, silently crying for a hurt that had pained too greatly to sound for, I found myself saying the words that would begin my sonata of crime.

"Roman... Take me away from this place. Nobody would question my missing remains seeing as those who had been found were destroyed beyond natural recognition and suggest that I had been at the place where the fire burned hottest. Send my sister somewhere she will live well..."

Looking up at who I knew to be a rogue, I chose my ignorance.

"I don't want to know... What you did previously. But I know that you aren't looking for an _airsoft_ sniper. My work... Will cover my sister's medicine. Beyond that..."

I then forced a half hearted grin across my face, and attempted to hold back the tears.

"I want a copy of that video."

* * *

><p><em>To Be Continued<em>


	23. Ensnarement Part Two

_Drexel's Kitchen (and Point of View)_

Sliding some green tea across the table in a plain white mug, which Weiss accepted. Then I turned back to the array of alcohol behind me, which constituted to a full bar.

"I'm guessing that Yang is expecting something a little stronger? Whats your poison, Blondie?"

Yang tapped the counter using the tips of her nails which divided the three guests and I. "Lets take it easy. Whisky."

Turning around, I went for a small cup. Over my shoulders I lent my answer. "On the rocks?"

It was Blake's interjection which paused the movement of my hands. "Your drinking? Now?"

"Hey Blake? Catnip if you want it, but I'm not giving either of you any of such things at early forenoon. Weren't classes moved to the afternoon?"

Weiss again had picked up on a little minor detail. "How could you know if you haven't check the alerts board? You have to actually go to school in order to do that."

Turning back to the series of drinks, I placed two teapots on a flat stove top which had been integrated into the counter. "You mean to tell me that you watch my movements? I have a teleporter, and can make a form of cloaking technology which will hide the temporary glyphs and myself. As flattered as I am.."

Turning back over and leaning on the counter between us, I finish with a light seductive tone. "You can always just ask to date." Pulling back, I chuckled to myself.

Halfway between a blush and icicle volley, Weiss had maintained composure. "You still hadn't told me how you knew my Mother."

To this, Yang slowly turned her head in order to face Weiss with a low, dark chuckle. Taking a newspaper from under the counter and placing it in front of Weiss, the Heiress began to pursue the dirty blonde with the daily paper which I had always made a point of going into town and getting purely to provoke such a future potential spectacle. Does scrying always have to be for serious matters? With just Blake and myself, I slipped over a cup of hot tea to her after pouring it from the pot behind me.

"Its not chamomile, or normal catnip... If you know what I mean."

"Drexel, what do you want?"

"I need you to get Sun over here. There's a promise that I have yet to keep, I owe that guy much."

"Not unless you tell me why."

"You care for him?"

Silence.

"Here. Read this and keep it to your person alone. Particularly your team... You know that he's a criminal. So am I. This note..."

Quickly handing off the paper in question, I continue my little sermon.

"Roman Torchwick has... Pieces in play which are not yet clear, even with my... Special resources. Don't ask. I also am running tests for making Argentum, a liquid variant of pure dust and therefore energy practical in weaponry. It is currently unsafe as a form of munitions... For now. Later, I will offer details in true full form but only because I need allies. I know you understand.""

Blake simply nodded.

"The White Fang was responsible for killing your family, under Torchwick's orders... Weren't they?"

Closing my eyes, and taking a step back and into my barstool, I silently answer the question. "Yes." My eyes flashing open, completely black with simply small red orbs in the middle, I continue. "I also know that it was your first count of arson and murder, Blake Belladonna. Allow me to list the details of another traitor's sins."

* * *

><p><em>Drexel's Mind<em>

The White Fang had not been technically affiliated with Torchwick at that time, but they were using his funds and orders to offer newer field members in a baptism of fire where the recruits were the priests. Some years ago, I had learned that my parents as Faunus had angered the White Fang who they were once informants to the terrorist organization in its infancy as an inter-kingdom threat which had provided targets. Yes, my gentle parents were sly spotters for the book of death by (most ironically) fire. But for an unknown reason, they stopped. Why? I can only speculate.

Naturally I was angry for a year and a half but as time pressed and progressed, I had found my library here in this house of my Lore-Master spectrum of ancestors. Yes, my parents used a primitive from of scrying to bring the deaths of many. However this method was too random to be technically scrying, but it suited the agenda: they wanted random members of the affiliations that opposed them most usually missing any targets of value completely.

Within my library I learned how to word myself with even greater eloquence, but I also found a strange item which had been hidden most effectively. I had not been able to decipher much until I attained a hold and grasp of my scrying, but I did manage to eventually read it: it was called a _Biblia _in title and had confounded myself with poetry beyond my grasps to even partially understand. Even today I know that my ability to decipher its secrets, with the exception of its very last chapter, or book called _revelationes._ From the micro tidbits I had managed to perfect in translation, I learned two things that were hidden to me: my parents deserved their fate, and their deaths should have happened sooner. Their loss saved many lives of numbers untold and so for this, I have no intention of untaking their blood feud that they brought to the grave that would be unbound should I pursue their killer.

I also learned about the upcoming war which would destroy Vale and Beacon just to name a few _small _priority targets by an upcoming faction. Argentum will become the counterweight to this tedious thing that had been called 'balance'. Scrying told me, that it would not be Torchwick and his faction along with Cinder that would be the opposing force, but something irrelevant in full.

From here forth will be a conflict to decide who gets to keep this technology. I will not survive.


	24. Party Themed Chapter Title

**Author's note: I wanted to release this yesterday evening, but I could not due to a lack of internet. To compensate, I offer my beloved readers a super chapter. This will serve as today and yesterday's publication for your reading pleasure. **

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><p>Kudos to the 14 total followers as of yet and those who have favorited this story, this one is for you.<p>

Ruby's Point of View – The Day of the Party (Friday) – Vale Coffee Shop

"Blake? Thanks for the coffee."

Coffee is great. Free coffee is even better. Free coffee due to a class cancellation due to a mysterious bomb threat just makes it more interesting, but free coffee with Blake? Sadly something must be wrong if Weiss and Yang were to be omitted. Blake doesn't care about doing this kind of stuff with a single friend… Right? Now here in our seats at this table along in the deserted cafe, Blake got directly down to business.

"You know something about Drexel. Don't you?"

"What did he do?"

"It's about something he said... Did you know that his eyes are really black… And glow red?"

This isn't good. When Drexel first ran into me, I thought that I had seen them too. I had done some research, and found some… Unsettling results.

"There is a lost group of people… Called Lore-Masters. People with energy semblances, and I mean the ability to manipulate energy. But the semblance destroys the user with time. The eyes are an early sign of it: he isn't as human as he used to be."

Interested, Blake then took a sip of her steaming hot coffee.

"Lore-Master? What does that have to do with Lore, it sounds like some ancient story, or knowledge."

"That's because they existed for thousands of years and have been writing about three hundred years before any organized kingdom could even start making fountain pens. Their ancient libraries go back, with about a dozen lost mini-libraries of insane knowledge left, and only two major libraries in existence. These people died out a long time ago, when? Nobody knows. These libraries are rumored to have a perfect chronology of past historical events… Lost secrets of everything from war, to medicine, even lost art."

"Do you think that Drexel knows where one of these libraries are?"

Pausing for a moment, I took a quick mouthful of the delicious coffee. Swallowing, I answered.

"He could form primitive yet powerful glyphs without them even being his semblance. Somehow he manipulated dust into a form that should be impossible. Those blades? They're made of nothing, and don't belong in a world like this so that they are capable of even cutting through the hardest steel, where else could have he learned? He has to have personal access to such a library, maybe just a small one."

"There's more I know, Ruby…" Blake paused, seemingly in hesitation. "… I'll tell you on Sunday. Remind me then."

She knows something? Probably about the potential library, or something even bigger.

"I don't know if I will ever get a chance to tell anyone this, Blake. Drexel killed Weiss's mother, but that's not the problem. I think someone manipulated into doing it without the guy even knowing who he was shooting. The problem is that someone had control over someone this dangerous…"

Sometimes, it's hard to know that the kitty across from me is thinking, but today? Speaking up, she confirmed my suspicions.

"But doesn't Weiss's father control him now? Whatever Torchwick had over him, it looks like it's gone. Also, I remember him mentioning that he's developing weapons with Argentum… Don't tell anyone that. Doesn't that mean that he's also in with Ironwood?"

Drinking the last of my coffee, I set down the cup on the saucer.

"Only time will tell."

Blake now also finished with her coffee got up and left the exact change on the table for our drinks.

"Come on, Ruby. There's something I want you to see."

Leaving the shop, she led us to a back street and grabbed me by the collar. Before I could make any complaint there was a strange flash of white… And then a completely different environment. Too surprised at the trees and the glyph glowing stone which we are now standing on (as opposed to the sidewalk we were standing upon just a second ago), I wandered down the stone steps before a metal door.

"Blake? What's behind this door?"

The instant I asked, the door slid into the ground with a pressurized hiss.

"You tell me. Besides, you might like what you find."

The Previous Evening – Blake's Point of View – Drexel's Home

We were all in the living room with our own warm drinks in hand. Sitting next to Sun, I could not help but imagine the host dead and drooling on the floor: intimidation tactics only last on me so long. Rising from his chair and putting his tea down on the coffee table, Drexel got up.

"Pardon me, but there is something I must obtain. This will not require more than the slightest minute."

Once he was gone, I turned my head to Sun. "Why did I come in with you?"

"Because he might be able to do the same for you. Besides, he owes me a half dozen favors: I want you to see what happens when a Lore-Master is in your debt."

"A Lore-Master?"

"Don't ask me to explain, I hardly remember or even understand half of it. All I know is that he makes the best weapons in the world, and that was before I heard rumors of the new things he could do with dust."

"You heard about Argentum?"

"Yeah, that."

At this point, Drexel walked back into the room. In two hands, was a long box of yellow and black wood lined with velvet. To this, I could not help but throw in my own little interjection.

"Sun, you've got to be kidding me."

As he sat back down, Sun quickly put his coffee aside. "I've waited for this."

After handing the box over to the eager blonde, the Lore-Master sat back down.

"One to one scale to your personal weapon, exactly as you requested with a little more… Kick, a bonus gift by yours truly."

Steven had then crept from under the couch and began making bickering noises at Drexel.

"With the finer details and refineries by the fire ferret. I'm not very good at engraved artistic elements."

"Hey buddy, why do you call your pet a fire ferret?" I could not help but feel that Sun would regret his inquiry. "Looks like a regular red rodent to me."

Angrily, the small creature burst into flames, literally a ferret on fire. Jumping where he sat, the monkey Faunus quickly begged himself off a potential deadly encounter. Speaking up, Drexel brought Sun back to earth.

"Could you please check your weapon before she tears you a second tail?"

Obliging, Sun unboxed a quarterstaff identical to the staff form of the weapon he already used, owned, and loved.

"And it fires that new ammunition?"

"Indeed, Sun. The weapon is already loaded and charged. It should last a few years before it needs a recharge, with cleaning and maintenance designed to be identical to previous. Damage output increased threefold, with only the slightest boost in recoil. Reload will not be required, just the recharge as I had mentioned."

Playing with the weapon, switching its forms, Sun quickly reached the conclusion that Drexel was expecting.

"It feels the same. It looks the same. Hey, could you do the same for Blake?"

"Wait, why should I… Well… Can you?"

Smiling, Drexel cracked his knuckles. "It's my treat in return from scaring you with the eyes."

Sun shuddered next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You alright from that?"

Throwing my companion a glare, I could not help from offer a biting remark. "What do you think?"

Strangely though, Drexel seemed to be laughing darkly. "I went easy on her. She didn't even scrape the surface. It's something called the demon glare, an old man who I was close to taught me how to do it. It's most effective on Lore-Masters because they think it to be Energy Insanity, but it's a pity that few are around anymore. Civil war, never a good thing. No, Ruby isn't a Lore-Master."

"Well?" I could not help but feel just a little excited. "Can you?"

Drexel held out his hand. "Depends on your weapon. Sun's guns happened to involve shotgun nunchaku, so I focused on firepower with a slight boost in recoil to allow that fire fury thing he does to whirl a little faster and deadlier. I will need fifteen minutes with your weapon and a quick demonstration of all its forms, and will use that data to see what is worth strengthening."

Surrendering my blades, there was only one thing I could think. _This… This is going to be good._

"Drexel? Let's do it."

Ruby's Point of View – The Day of the Party (Friday) – Drexel's House/Cave… Thing.

Standing by the door enveloped by darkness, I could not help but take a step back as all the lights brightly came on. Startled, I had drawn my scythe and held it ready… Before all my friends from Beacon and Drexel began belting out as powerfully as their lungs would permit: "HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!"… And then came an epic base drop, courtesy of Yang behind a new turntables.

Standing awkwardly ready to destroy some furniture, I took a quick second to observe the now lit surroundings. An early birthday party?

"Wha… Who set this up, where did you guys get this nice place?"

In response from behind the bar, Drexel raised his hand and waved. Rather surprisingly he was wearing something other than the black hooded cloak, or school uniform. Instead, a white dress shirt with just enough buttons undone, sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a black silk vest, with black dress pants and also black dress shoes. Putting away the Crescent Rose, I walked over to the criminal and asked a question. This must be his out of school wear, this is surprisingly classy. Even some of the others had a few finer touches to their regular wear, like how Jaune traded the hard points of his armor for a black bowtie.

"This place is yours?"

He nods.

"You didn't get this off Weiss?"

Another nod.

"I'm guessing this was your idea?"

Yet another nod.

"You couldn't linger tomorrow?"

This nodding is getting repetitive.

"Happy Birthday. Care for a drink, Ruby?"

With a speed that rivaled even my semblance, Yang sped from her turntables and the massive now visible stacks of vinyl records to my side.

"YES! Your first real drink, us two sisters together." She then continued to lean forwards onto the counter. Shaking his head, Drexel turned away and busied his eyes elsewhere. "Dammit Drexel, you're no fun."

To this, Blake and Weiss joined us, and Drexel returned his attention to us now that Yang was standing fully upright with four shot glasses topped with whisky when Weiss spoke.

"Us FOUR sisters, Yang."

Blake then offered her own interjection. "Besides, we may as well have Weiss's first drink with the team around anyways."

After Blake's little joke, the Heiress turned a bright red, even redder when Drexel started to chuckle. Behind us, the party started getting into gear. We all knocked back our respective liquor, when Drexel offered me a quick whisper.

"You get my present today."

* * *

><p>Ruby's Point of View – The Day of the Party (Friday) – Drexel's HouseCave and Ruby's Party… Thing… Thing.

Jaune is already wasted. Its 5pm. Yang blew the speakers out, for an angry Drexel to carry them off to his workshop with the attempt in mind of repairs. Someone spiked the punch (why we even have punch with a bartender around willing to serve people wasted is unknown) and Weiss got caught flirting with Drexel. Yang is sexually harassing Blake. It's not even past six.

In truth, I expected an assassination attempt from the Lore-Master in the name of ironic vengeance. Not a party, and not a spectacle this amusing. There we go; the speakers have been repaired and restored… And Drexel in confiscating certain records that he now knows too well of due to their destructive potential.

Ren is now trying to dance while carrying a smashed Jaune and unleashed Pyrrah.

Sun got into the bananas which had been laced with something.

Walking over to an empty chair beside me, Drexel walked over and assumed the seat while carrying a scarlet and black velvet lined box tied together with a black silk ribbon.

"I hope you don't mind that I slipped through your scroll's security and borrowed a digital copy of your weapon's blueprints."

"I thought I encrypted that."

"It was encrypted? Huh. Anyways, I desire that you make this item an element of your usage. I hope you find it acceptable."

Damn right, mystery box! Pulling the ribbon so that it fell apart perfectly, I removed the lid to reveal a Crescent Rose identical to mine in its folded form. Almost expecting that Drexel had stolen my weapon for real, I quickly checked my side to be sure that the original was still there.

"It looks exactly the same."

"I reformed the parts to your weapon identical to the recipe called for within the blueprints where dimensions were concerned, but used special and superior materials then to what you used. In consequence, you weapon can get seven times sharper with far less sharpening time and effort, and the weapon is higher and harder. That's not the best part."

Removing the weapon from the box, I picked it up and nearly fell over as I had expected it to be much, much heavier.

"Feather light… You mentioned another feature, is it a gravity and Drexel proof cup holder? I always wanted one on this thing."

Turning to the fire ferret who was doing some type of balancing act with a teacup, Drexel addressed the small creature.

"Dammit Steve, I told you so. Anyways. It accepts both standard dust cartridges, as usual, but also can accept argentum charges through that hidden second magazine slot, see?"

Now that he had pointed out, I did see a curious round gap behind the magazine which looked like it could fit a cylinder.

"Drexel, what does it do?"

"It allows you to fire your weapon as a big scary laser, a super death ray beam thing of death. It will melt stone, steel, other weapons, really anything. Quick warning, the recoil is insane. The beam lasts twenty seconds and cannot be shut down. I also encased three argentum cylinders, to use the death ray (or whatever you intend to call it) simply load a cylinder. When loaded with a cylinder, your weapon will automatically convert to death ray mode and raise a targeting screen for pinpoint precision. Just pull the trigger. Don't use it to cook foodstuffs, it may make things radioactive. Keep away from children smaller than yourself."

There are only a few words to describe the way I now look at the Crescent Rose Mk. II (the new weapon): lust, anticipation, jittery joy.

"Hey Drexel?"

"Hey Ruby?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Multiply hell by the no raised to the fourteenth power while tripling by the volume in decibels of this insufferable music played by your sister all multiplied by Steven's sass."

"Really?" I rose my arms to pursue the kiss in question.

"Dammit, fine."

Closing my eyes and slowly leaning forwards, I make contact with a pair of warm and eager lips. Pulling back reluctantly, I open my eyes to find Jaune's drunk eyes looking seductively back at me. Blushing furiously, I push push the forwards crawling blonde away with little success when Drexel simply throws him away.

* * *

><p><em>The Party – Drexel's Point of View<em>

"Please don't touch me. I still have nightmares about you nearly cutting me in half with that scythe."

"YOU MADE ME KISS HIM!"

"YOU SERIOUSLY WANTED TO KISS ME? Anywho, he's drunk, he won't remember it."

"But I'm not!"

Snorting humorously, I was still trying my hardest not to laugh. "Not yet."

"That's not what I meant… Hold onto this for me?"

Taking the new weapon and replacing it with the non-deathray, the younger girl crossed her arms, the rosy signs of a blush still lingering.

"Fine, I'll the drunkenness to your sister. Someone has to stop Ren before he initiates what appears to be some nude conga."

Getting up and leaving the Birthday girl to her sister, I deal with Ren using a knockout liver punch. For now on, that guy is getting a four hard drink limit.

_WAIT! We have yet to get the cake!_

Pulling Blake, Weiss, and a complaining Yang (due to the fact that she would be delayed once again from her crusade of getting her little sister just a tiny bit buzzed) I brought then to the upstairs kitchen. _These people just make me miss my lost family so much more. Could I make them my family? They're interesting enough, and just a little loopy._

Gathering around the cake, we all began to take properly balanced vantage points.

"Ladies, we are taking the supply elevator. Do not try to take the steps, one of us will probably fall spectacularly."

Without further comment, we carried the monstrosity to the elevator in question, and arrived on the middle floor at the party. The peoples scattering to form a path, we carried to it the tables where the various snacks were laid onto a large empty space dedicated for this purpose.

"You guys find someone sober to cut this, I'm going to pour myself a drink."

Soon finding a glass of good, red wine, I return to find Ruby carving slices with the Crescent Rose Mk II.

After the cake had been doled out, a latecomer appeared to have arrived. A robotic girl had entered the building, I could feel the artificial aura paired with the cold unfeeling skin slip amongst the crown to Ruby's delight.

"Hello Ruby! Happy early birthday!"

Walking over to the girl, I set aside my wine glass and the artificial human turned to me. We put our hands on each other's shoulders.

"Dammit Penny, you've grown… So much… Your father never told me that you had entered commission."

"Drexel… What have you done to yourself? I detect not human bones, but something for more mechanical alongside flesh hardened and woven like Kevlar and is perhaps far more durable than it's organic counterpart. You aren't as human as you once were… Now you're more like me. Why?"

Stepping back, I could not help but notice that Ruby had been listening closely with unhinged curiosity.

In explanation, I offered Ruby a small morsel of knowledge. "I was the lead programmer when developing Penny's base operating system, and the one who gave General Ironwood the academic information and assisted in making the said data practical in developing the artificial aura. You could say... That I was the head engineer under her Father for making his dream a practical reality."


	25. More Party

_The Party – Drexel's Point of View – 11PM_

"I thought you're a criminal, how could Ironwood ever take you on as a reputable engineer?"

In asking for a twofold honesty pack between myself and team RWBY, I had also indirectly ensured some method of transparency as well. However, Ruby's prods into a part of my past that I would have preferred Penny to be ignorant of had began to become a nuisance. Attempting to ignore Ruby's consistent prods into a reality which I had tried my hardest to keep Penny from had proven to only worsen matters altogether where secrecy was concerned. Ruby herself definitely did not need to know my influences on the militaries withing Remnant.

With something alike fervor, Penny answered the question for me. "Drexel has always been a good person and a great student of engineering, why would you ever make such a horrible accusation?"

Resignedly, I took on the reply. "Fake identification becomes more simplistic as it becomes more complicated. Sure, cracking the initial static security that prevents false replications may be difficult, but when it's actually down? The General was looking for civilian input anyways, so naturally he raised no further questions against a seemingly solid file."

With a mix of curiosity and disappointment, Penny asked one more question. "Did you hurt anybody?"

Taking a direct look into Ruby and her young eyes with a hard, knowing gaze I simply answered: "Yes. More than you know."

* * *

><p><em>The Party – Ruby's Point of View – 11PM<em>

_That look... Has he figured out that I had been trying to dig into his past? No, he always knew, its as if he found out the instant I began searching. I expected something like this, he probably used some form of virtual tripwire throughout Vale's databases; its what I would have done._

But it seemed as if there was also pain mixed in with that hardened glance as well. So much for a hidden ace up my sleeve of being able to call up the murder of Weiss's mother, it seems he knew my hand before it was even dealt. I'll have to ask the others later if they got any information out of him later. What was the purpose of this party? Of course I appreciated the gesture, but what could the Lore-Master mean by it?

Is this some way of him saying 'I'm not a threat', or something along these lines? The fact that he gave me a death ray almost proves that he doesn't see me as a threat. He upgraded the Myrenaster, so that proves that he means no harm to Weiss and even had tolerated Yang's teasing which few manage to have the foresight to ignore.

"Ladies, please don't pry. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss to a tormenting past. I have my regrets. I would prefer to take them to the grave in favor of a fire-storm which would take their place should they be relieved. Penny, I ended many lives and lost those close. I will never make that mistake again, and am happy to end mine in favor of another should even conscious insist that the second be inferior."

With almost an infectious sadness, the teenager drew a tobacco pipe and tin box, fitting the pipe into his mouth.

"I am going to die soon. It is inevitable and doubly necessary. It will be ironic, which is suitable to the way I have cruelly lived in time previous to now. Penny, the following must never be repeated in any method to any person: particularly your father. Ruby, if you repeat this to anybody prematurely I will kill you. There is no defense to how I truly form my fighting style and methods in warfare, simply because of what I am so do not force me to even higher stack my tower of regret."

Inserting some tobacco from the tin box into the pipe, he put the box away as the pipe lit itself. Rather than the usual strong smell which I had expected, the scent was both odorless and sweet, dispersing without issue.

"You're a traitor, Drexel, nothing like the way you took Weiss despite the fact that you didn't leave her to Torchwick. Don't easily say that you can kill me, everyone will know that you had tried and how I killed you in the attempt."

"Indeed Ruby you are correct. I betrayed the last of the Lore-Masters, refusing to become the weapon they intended me to become. Rather than returning to my trainers after the death of my parents as I was instructed should such thing occur, but I violated every major law that applies to those who study Lore within the hidden country of the Lore-Masters. Yes, a tiny city and civilization of Lore-Masters. Neither of you should believe though, that you can survive me."

At this very moment, exactly when Drexel had finished talking it felt as if my aura was being drained from me and my soul along with it. Penny too, had shown signs of weakness as she began to have difficulty in remaining upright in her seat.

"Drexel..." Gathering my strength which remained to me, I continued my phrase. "... You bastard..."

As easily and quickly as I could feel the strength I could once swear was only mine slip from my reach, it came back again with almost seemingly a little extra.

"Ruby... I was supposed to be the Honor Guard to the high council. Instead I abandoned the post that had been assigned to me shortly after birth, and took arms with a major criminal, killing as ordered to simply preserve the weak and pitiful creature that is my little sister. Yes, a real sister, I also had a big brother. A real one. But my family is dead, and my Commanding Officers could have prevented it. Even stopped it."

Puffing a ring of smoke, the saddened dishonored solider continued to speak with his voice gradually becoming darker. Graver. Nearly sadistic.

"Why am I telling you this here? Now? Only you two will remember most of the night's events. Everyone else is either high or smashed beyond sentience and coherence busied with their shenanigans. I only wish I was so oblivious and freed from the truth I had learned and the crushing twist made to what once was I: a bitter and angered boy armed with the basic knowledge and weaponry needed to embody my anger through violence. I found this place from the summer memories of my earliest life and the library concealed within. And learned. It was the day I killed Weiss's mother that I had abandoned the ice which I used as self-pitying respite when I had not been taking mothers, fathers, sons and daughters from the families of others. Rather than using a Hardened Thermite Anti-Personnel bullet which I always used when playing sniper (since the round would shatter into lit thermite on impact, the invention being a trade secret), designed to slowly and painfully kill without allowing any chance of survival, I used a special round I always carried. I rarely use dust weapons for high accuracy tasks, simply due to their impersonal touch on a situation. This bullet was coated with two chemicals: the first chemical was designed to disintegrate after firing, protecting the powerful pain-killer underneath from being burnt off."

Setting the pipe aside, the killer buried his face in his hands to mask the tear drops which began to form in his eyes.

"The difference in choice allowed Weiss and her family to be with their mother and wife in the last moments of honesty and good-byes, rather than torture. I watched as the family was for the first and only time united if but briefly through the lens of my scope. In that same day it was shattered by the same action which gathered them. I watched the creation of the persona called the 'Ice Queen' and what also began the isolation of Weiss from the remainder of the family."

The boy which had clearly tortured himself mentally over the years from the event in question sunk his head even lower, allowing his hands to tightly grip his long messy black hair.

"For the next few months I spent my life silently, secretly camped in front of place wherever Weiss slept in my first stage of penance for ever other soul I had separated from it'd body, but as payment for participating in a tragedy that was not even mine to create or observe. The shooting had destabilized the Schnee Dust Company and it's overall security for some time. Brigands and other seasoned killers like myself had come hearing rumors of the great weakness in such a profitable target. My body is scared from the combat I pursued in protecting them from then onwards: both on that day, and the four months that would follow."

Silence._ I expected a shallow killer, not... This. __If I was to expose any of this, one third of those who would hear this story would release him. The other third would have him chained to the Schnee Dust Company for last repayments of his crimes, and the last third would would leave him at the feet of Weiss to await her decision. I would rather forget that I had heard this tale._

"Why I have no qualms in killing her friends, even though my personal war is in her defense and therefore, the protection of her friends? I can see elements of the future, through something called Scrying. I do this through meditation, and over time I can bring together truths of not only the future but the past. Partially though this method I became the warrior I am now, alongside my early training which had been engrained into my soul and my books. Theoretical knowledge that those before me who had the same energy semblance discovered, that's what Lore-Masters are: Humans and Faunus who have some type of energy semblance. The future is not a fixed path, but a highway with many exits. By controlling events accordingly, I can trigger the desired outcome. For Weiss to live, I must die."

That instant, he stopped crying and wiped his tears. Composing himself, he escaped the mask made from his fingers.

"And that is how I can be happy."


	26. Chapter Title

Monday Morning, 5AM – Professor Ozpin's Office and Point of View

Standing in a set of full green combats and tactical combat boots, with a traditional/hybrid metal/argentum firing pistol at his belt alongside two long cruel daggers stood Drexel before me. Sometimes having an individual assassin without any team attached can be advantageous, particularly when General Ironwood asks for a task to be completed with stealth and efficiency.

"You want me to run a one man raid on a White Fang warehouse?"

Drexel clearly was unimpressed with the request given to him. To be honest, Glynda wouldn't be too happy either with Ironwood using Beacon students.

"This wasn't in the job description. Besides, don't we have law enforcement for this kind of thing, not to mention a whole military for the kingdom's security?"

Within my answer, I could not help but acquire a mild impatience within my voice.

"Ironwood's intelligence-"

"You mean his spies."

"Yes, they suggest that these guards are employing some anti-dust ammunition armor, accompanied by a broad spectrum energy dampener. The General and I simply have no conventional weapons that we can bring to play with secrecy and stealth against something like this. Not only will dust ammunition be useless-"

"But these are some of the White Fang's best, armed with very efficient military grade small-arms, good training by lesson alongside trial by fire, wearing armor that would require an aerial gunship to even scratch. Professor, with the due respect that your position demands... Why do I care?"

Taking a sip of my coffee, I could not help but sigh in mental exasperation.

"I could turn you over to the authorities. You are an assassin which has been trained through killing without government sanction."

"You're threatening an assassin? I have thrown my soul away to more sadistic arts than your wanna-be Lore-Master dreams can even imagine."

I may get paid more than well enough to deal with these types of situations, but this coffee cup is too damn small.

"I could turn you over to the authorities, please?"

* * *

><p>Beacon Locker Room<p>

Before I had boarded the airship which would take me not too far from my objective, I had completed two self imposed tasks: heckle the Headmaster a morsel more, and write four letters each to the corresponding members of team RWBY updating them completely to what I told Ruby not too long ago. And that there was the strong chance that I could die, and to assume so should I not return by the next morning. To Weiss however, I had left an active invitation to visit me whenever at my home should there be any questions if I lived, or to end my life should she see it fit.

I also left Steven behind, although she wanted to come. Against an armored enemy which could even resist my Lore-Master tricks to great efficiency, I could not risk any life but my own. This guard had to die, and this munitions reserve had to go or else the conflict which would come will end many more lives. There are plenty of Lore-Masters still around, the death of a disgraced murderer will go ignored, unnoticed.

I did have one remaining trump card for this firefight.

The enemy will be armed with dust rifles. My armor is also high quality anti-dust armor, and while I may have the disadvantage in numbers, I have stealth and the old fashioned kinetic firearms firing hollowpoint ammunition (hollowpoint bullets expand on impact, and rip flesh rather then pierce it). Dust armor is little more than fabric, and will make my job much easier. I can also use my semblance to manipulate the scene conveniently.

Okay, maybe two trump cards. Either way, its a good day to die; for my opponent, that is.

Grabbing my P-90, a firearm with a formidable 50 bullet clip and impressive rate of fire in such a compact method, I also I began filling my pockets with ammunition and smoke grenades, taking care not to bring dust cartridges.

I'm going to kill them all, old school.

* * *

><p><em>RWBY Dorm - 7AM - Weiss's Point of View<em>

That idiot! You would think I would know the person who killed my mother in front of me, and then camped outside my house killing mercenary assassins on my front lawn for four months. An invitation to ask whatever questions I please or maybe kill the host, what a quaint letter to find under the door. To also think that I will probably end up being this guy's employer some day...

It isn't surprising that Drexel was supposed to be some type of honor guard, either. If he was genetically designed to be the last line of defense to government of his fellow nerds, then there is not surprise that he could get stabbed and shot so many times during those four months and come off with a collection of scars. Sometimes Winter would drag a limp Drexel into the house and the two of them would play doctor - For real. Naturally neither of them were experts, hence the scars, but the internet always was a helpful guide.

It was easy to forgive the Lore-Master: she had already done it back in the early days of the bloodied unconscious defender muttering strange things amounting to the truth as they used bandages to cover the ugly wounds. What Drexel didn't know, was that Mrs. Schnee was already dying, and the quick and painless end was something that no doctor was able to give. Furthermore, the event had given her uncle the proof he needed to grow the company's security force twentyfold while using the life of a person fated to die shortly anyways.

It also allowed me to realize that I preferred to make wounds rather than help heal them.

Looking up from her own letter, Yang turned to me and posed a question. "How long can we play 'Weiss hates you' for?"

* * *

><p><em>Unknown Location - 7:15AM - Drexel's Point of View<em>

I love war paint. Its makeup, but for men. I only wish it came with matching nail polish and eyeliner. On the positive side, it includes a spa using the blood of the enemy's fallen.

Dark jokes aside, hiding behind a bush wearing black and dark green warpaint well smeared across my face, I slipped through a blind spot in the weary and weak eyes of the sentries. This would have been way more fun with a scoped rifle. On the positive side, I do have plenty of the ye old thermite and C4 to bring down the roof atop the high explosive dust shells within the warehouse. However, the guard within the compound was so poor, I simply ended up placing the C4 on the crates of dust rather than using both explosives I carried with me to destroy the support beams. Simply walking out the front door, I hid behind a truck and hit the detonator triggering the C4.

The explosion awoke the armored guards, and finally alerted them to mymy presence. Walking throughout the compound with dust explosions everywhere and firing my P90 like a maniac, I shot my way though all who opposed me without shame.

You only need stealth when your enemy is competent. This wasn't worth writing 'I'm gonna die' letters for, I regret writing those scribbles already. Firing a set of three rounds into a guard who decided to run at me with a knife rather than reloading, I sent my contempt along with the lead.

_At least theres going to be a real war later._


	27. Chapter 27

_Ozpin's Office – 9:13AM – Drexel's Point of View_

Mission reports. When you stand in front of the person in command and recount all your dark deeds which are only legal when done to a confirmed enemy.

"But asides from blowing the whole place up and tearing every once living body apart with that archaic weapon, I can almost tell that you found something worrysome."

Dammit Ozpin, get out of my head.

"Aye Sir, Professor... Guy... There was something odd about a rather unique antenna."

"Well? Go on."

Preparing myself to deliver some mildly desturbing news to my audiance of one particular Ozpin, I slipped into the chair before his desk. It seemed only fitting that we both sat this time, but as I took my seat I could not help but notice that the chair he occupied was of type I taught him how to conjure.

"It did more than provide a minor desruption to my wireless detonating system. I sat down with my scroll before I started the killings, and noticed a peculiar wavelength coming off the tower. How I used my scroll to find this and what I used to confirm this is irrelevant as we don't have time for a lesson in Lore-Master technology. The tower appears to be a protoype jamming method for disabling a Hunter or Huntress from using their semblance and even supressing one's aura. It is a technique that I use often enough to recognize, but I do not require any form of artificual broadcasting system to do so. I can say that it is a developing prototype, as the design was familiar to me: this is Lore-Master technology at play."

Shifting in his chair, the Professor offered an insight. "This isn't good. If they have access to this wildcard, what else is in their hand, or even the entire deck? Real Lore-Master weapons?"

"No, I honestly doubt it Sir. This was beyond question a find of some small form data storage item, which had the blueprints to the prototype. This is evidant due to the fact that there are upgraded variants which were designed for field use rather than testing which could be fit inside an armored car and work powerfully with a shocking range and the ability to direct the disruptive signal as a wide angle beam."

"Isn't this a little too far fetched?"

"Not at all. It is little more than one signal which is convinient to project onto a battlefield that jams a wireless signal: the aura in a method that not only lightly weakenss it, but uses the stolen aura to employ a type of semblance block, hence the need for such a high grade of dust. In order to encompas such a great area, a very rich energy source is required. I naturally had destroyed the antenna with a timed C4 charge to evade the disruptor's effects, but there could be other facilities anywhere. Its a big world. One last minor detail."

"And that is..."

"This system is also efficent influencing Grim. This White Fang organization has the ability to control the lesser of these creatures to even the point of concerting assaults with these grunts, even using them as frontline infantry, or even support. You know I can scry, and it has showed me one thing: the White Fang and the potentially affliated Torchwick won't be the main threat. The worst is yet to come."

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Hallway – 9:20 AM – Weiss's Point of View<em>

I need to take a walk. In the middle of Professor Ooblek's class, somehow Ruby managed to get a sip of whatever the hyperactive professor puts in his drink (presumably coffee?). Unlike Ooblek, Ruby is a much younger girl who would take longer to process that degree of what (hopefully) is sugar, and the Huntress in training happens to have a speed semblance. Not too surprisingly, the effects of the cocktail are therefore much more effective on the huntress in training.

Its like matchmaking, but in hell. _Drexel seems to have had the foresight to skip this. Even if the melodrama contained in the letter hinted as such that his life was at risk, good for him._ But speak of the devil, there is Drexel now, walking down the hallway in the opposite direction. Observing what only I could guess was a cosplay gone wrong, consisting of some military style green camoflage gear, black tactical boots, a very strange and old looking weapon mixed with a little mud, plenty of blood and even more sweat alongside plenty of dust residue from what probably was a massive dust explosion.

"Drexel, you look aweful."

"I don't feel aweful."

"You really should."

Awkward silence.

"Don't you have class right now?"

"Don't _we _have class right now?"

"Weiss, I was excused."

"Why, so you could go cosplay?"

That brought a rare smile to his eyes.

"I wish... No I don't. Rather, I was out for the sake of shooting things up at the request of the Headmaster. Did I mention that it involved blowing up White Fang dust warehouses being used to power secret developmental weapons? I suppose it is merely the usual."

"Why didn't you tell the team that?"

"I don't have... Oh, you people. What do you girls have to do with the White Fang, aside from Blake being an ex-member?"

"You know about that?"

"Yeah. You aren't the only one with dead in the family."

"Aren't you pure Faunus, by birth? Oh thats right, the letter..."

Another awkward silence.

"Sorry for killing your Mother, my Lady."

"You bothered to stop and watch the whole thing, for much longer than you should have... Naturally it made you into what you are now, something with a heartbeat. How ironic, Drexel."

"Indeed... Are you going to kill me?"

"No."

"No? Why not?"

"Dissapointed?"

"Maybe."

"Don't worry, all those times you got destroyed in a last stand that somehow warded off the last of the interlopers, someone had to drag you into their house and 'Play Doctor."

Very awkward silence.

"So thats how those bandages got there... Thanks..."

"You honestly had no idea? I just thought you had forgotten, or some masculine ego got in the way."

"Trust me, girl. Theres plenty of ego here, but none of it was present there and then or here and now. Later, expect at least some."

"You're an idiot."

"Hug it out, Heiress?"

Sarcastically pretending to concider, I grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him down the hall.

"You looking like an infantryman from a forgotten war and you're suggesting a hug when I'm weaing this immaculate battle-skirt? Please, get some class."

"I'll pass on class until Ruby's borrowed energy from the Professor finally wears off. That will proabably take a few hours... But I'm skipping the day, just to be safe."

Drexel then began to walk away, soon dissapearing into a teleportation glyph of the typical glowing form which faded away as quickly as it appeared. Perhaps I had imagined it, but was he limping?


	28. Chapter 28

_Drexel's Home – The Living Room – Drexel's Point of View_

Sitting down on a chair I always keep at the door, I unlaced and removed my boots from my feet. Taking care to put them on the rubber mat due to the mud on them I did not want to clean, I felt something which did not belong. One thing I have never told a living human or faunus, is how poor my vision is. Always compensating with my energy semblance, I would be able to detect the general direction of a person based on the sounds they would make, my ability to sense the electrical impulses flowing through their nerves, and the heat that their bodies would give off.

The ability to detect movement also helped greatly. Its also part of why I like Weiss: much of what I see with my eyes is blurry, but the energy I can feel and 'see' with my mind's eye is a different matter altogether. It is a certain beauty that she keeps beneith her skin, a certain peace that I have never felt before.

Poety and romantic notion will have to wait: now only one thing lingers in my seculded cave, and that thing is the fiery anger of a stranger. Everyone seems to have their own energy pattern, with faunus conforming to one type, humans to a second, and grim being an entire classification of their own. This one is faunus, but not a particular individual who I have made aquantance with. Putting down my gun with enough noise to ensure that the person monitoring me thought I was disarmed, I then silently slipped my pistol from its holster.

That exact moment later, a teenage girl at around my age who was literally on fire stepped from behind the couch with apparent intentions to murder. Cluching flames in her hands as if she could throw them, the stranger stopped cold in her tracks at the sight of the pistol pointed to her chest. I almost mistook her for Ruby, but the hair was red due to the flames rather than natural color. Rather, she seemed to resemble Steven in terms of how the little Fire-Ferret would literally burst into flames when angered, threatened, or bitterly annoyed. The red fox faunus tail that flicked angrily from behind her only added to the effect.

"Hey... Female faunus wreathed in flames, why are you barefoot?"

Having exactly the intended effect, she looked down to her feet.

"I don't like shoes. They're strange, and clumsy." Taking this opportunity, I attempted to bolt off somewhere I could hide and gain the strategic advantage, but I tripped and fell spectacularly on my own feet. Dropping the pistol along the way, I attempted to crawl for it on my hands in knees only to have both the pistol kicked away, and a painful kick to the temple from the interloper.

"You realize that the firearm is only a formaility, fire person? Standing up, I outstreched an open hand, then clenched it into a fist. Instantly the flames extinguished and the girl shuddered, as if fragments of ice had started to grow within her.

"Stop it Drexel... It hurts..." Stumbling back, she fell into her back and assumed the fetal position. "It hurts so much..."

After a few more moments, I complied: I had been leaching a significant amount of her body heat while siphoning electric energy from her nervous system. Regularly anyone else would have become drowsy and weak, but she said that it hurt...

"What do you mean, it hurts? This can only torture those with pure energy semblances... My guess is your base is fire?"

"Yes, Drexel. And yours, is electricity with lightning being your favorite."

"You know my semblance and base? Few beyond the Lore-Masters know what a base is."

"Sure I'm not a Lore-Master, but I spend alot of time in the pocket of one."

Looking at the girl more intently, I could not help but notice that she did carry all the same mannerisms as Steven.

"Steve?"

"Actually its Stevie."

"Was?"

"Now it's Steven. Saying 'Dammit Stevie' just really isn't the same, is it?"

"Fair point... You've been a faunus... All this time?"

"No shit."

"Dammit Steve, you've led me on. Doing alright down there?"  
>"I could be better if some jerk of a Lore-Master didn't suck like a vampire and have a habit of draining people's stuff."<p>

"Why would I give you back your stuff? You could have just killed Steve and just be stalling for time, or... Something."

"Well why don't you just give me a little energy boost, and I'll just shift into that really rare Fire-Ferret?"

What could possibly go wrong? Complying, I began to return to the person who just might be Steve that which had indeed stolen. Quickly, she regained her composure and rapidly transformed into the Fire-Ferret which had been so familiar to me throught my life: the unchanging factor.

Dropping to my knees in front of the faunus, I drew a piece of dried bacon from its corresponding pocket and gave it to the girl. "Sorry Steve."

Then transforming back into the faunus my old friend really is, she sat upright while munching on the strip of bacon. "I hate you, you know that, right?"

"Naturally."

"You've been in my pocket... I sense that you intend to ask me something?"

"I hate it when you do that. But yeah, I do."  
>"Then ask."<p>

"Well... We both know that I'm a Lore-Master too... But why is it that Lore-Master faunus can fully take the form of the animal they're based off of?"

One of these questions. The type that there is no yet known answer to. This is one of the things that fuels my insanity.

"None of us have figured it out yet. What is known, is that provided that we are healthy enough with sufficent aura, we can shift back and forth without any physical or emotional cost. We also know, that this is a Lore-Master unique trait, similar to how different Lore-Masters have different bases. For example, yours is fire and also the most common. Sometimes we do get oddballs, who posess mastery over different elements of the electromagnetic spectrum. Or just really insane people like myself."

"Hey Drexel?"

"Yes Steve?"

"I was expecting some deep, psychological and perhaps even theological truth, don't ask why. Naturally, you always manage to dissapoint."

Slipping away to lay down under a few pillows close to the fireplace where a fire did burn, she then ended the conversation. Not caring enough to interject, I simply went to the kitchen, attained the first aid kit, and headed for the shower. I've spent enough time wearing mud and the fluids of the dead.


	29. Chapter 29

_Beacon – Ozpin's Office – Drexel's Point of View_

Sitting in the chair which I taught him to synthesise, sat the headmaster before me. Sitting here in the comfortable chair on the other side of the desk, the only thing currently separating us, we remained in silence sipping our coffees on a early morning. I have grown in respect for the man, whenever he did aim to give commands, they were thoughtful and logical in origin rather than the reflections of opinion. Now, the man spoke.

"You didn't come to this school to learn, did you?

"Not at all, Sir."

"You know far more than I do where academics are concerned... And yet you are satisfied with being a student?"

"Indeed. By this method, I may arm the humans and faunus alike with the armament which there is requiem for to preserve what has been built. It it tedious and delicious."

"Keeping a student without a team which had not gone through any formal testing to secure entry into Beacon is inconvenient. You cannot be kept as a student for any longer."

"Does that mean I can no longer attend lectures?"

"Indeed. However..."

Handing me a white unsealed envelope, Headmaster Ozpin nodded his head, confirming my suspision that he wanted me to inspect it's contents.

Suggestively, the man hinted a most curious hint. "Both parties could gain much more from a Lore-Master as part of the staff."

And indeed, the envelope contained the formal request to join Beacon as an instuctor.

Taking a pen from my cloak pocket to sign the document validating my acceptance, I evenly answered: "I accept the offer."

* * *

><p><em>Beacon – Drexel's Office – Drexel's Point of View<em>

Never before has curriculum been this questionable. I suppose this is the result of making a mildly sociopathic eighteen year old who spend his time practicing chemistry and industrial weapons engineering (to just name a new potentially dangerous pastimes) as a hobby. However, the simple truth is that the fifth kingdom of Vale is soon to emerge, along with a technology which never should have left the fifth kingdom in the first place. The teams of Beacon will have to be trained in a new method of ancient warfare, against such a technology that negates the effects of their semblances and even drains a sliver of their aura while still being capable of destroying the creatures of grim that WILL soon be deployed against them in an organized force. Does the course title "Paradoxical Warfare" give it away?

Ancient weapons of designations including the AK-74u, will have to be produced in order to re-arm the teams that I am responsible for making combat ready in this new environment. I will be required to educate teams RWBY and JNPR (additional teams will be added later) in the methods of using firearms as opposed to the more reliable dust weapons they currently rely on. Out of the teams that are taught and tested, there is one overall evaluation that they will not be informed of. It is time that the fugitive Lore-Master and Honor Guard went home and brought a diplomatic team of Hunters (and/or Huntresses) with him.

If the to-be diplomatic team fails to achieve strong relations with the fifth kingdom of Vale in time, the threat that is General Ironwood and the main plot which is soon to unfold will destroy not only Vale, but every other kingdom in Remnant. Without the support of the civilization of Lore-Masters, the fallout will be unimaginable.

And despite this looming threat unknown to all but me, there still is the issue of Roman Torchwick and the most curious Cinder who may be the collapse if this new "educational program" fails.

Slipping from my cloak pocket, climbing to my shoulder, and then jumping onto the desk which I am seated behind comes Steve. Taking a seated position, and then morphing back into her human form she began to play with an antique pistol on my desk.

"Steve, that thing is loaded and still fires."

Quickly putting it down, she instead occupied herself with conversation.

"Why the hell would you keep a loaded ancient pistol? Dust munitions are better."

"Nobody bothers wearing kevlar or anti-ballistic plates in their vests anymore, but anti-dust armor is light and shockingly weak against kinetic weapons. You would have to shoot out a person's legs or face which also have some protection if you wanted to do any real damage with dust, unless you had a massive scythe styled sniper rifle with more power than healthy."

"Not to mention the fact that your a sadist who enjoys bloodshed. Dust weapons aren't anywhere near as clean, especially seeing how you enjoy using those hollow point rounds."

Chuckling to myself, I leaned back into my chair.

"That's true. Sticks and stones may break my bones... But hollowpoints expand on impact. Lets just hope someone wanders in here with intention to murder."

I love my job.


	30. Chapter 30

**Previous Chapter Edited (Last few sentences) due to inconsistency. I also didn't like how I wrote them at first. You don't HAVE to go back and read them, but it improves chapter clarity. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

* * *

><p><em>RWBY Dorm, Blake's Point of <em>_View_

I have a bad feeling about this.

There has been a significant schedule change for the entire team, new timetables had been handed out, amending most of our sparring hours with a new title and teacher. "Paradoxical Warfare, with Professor Torchwick" is now the replacement for all of the same hours that we would have been beating eachother up for... Lets be honest, this is a class on _Warfare, _apparently being led by Drexel. If this wasn't strange, their recorded first meet was registered as outside the locker facility, followed by the Emerald Forest from then on.

Since when did he become a Professor, anyways? Shouldn't we actually have a classroom? At least our team will have the advantage over any others: the Lore-Master had replaced all of Team RWBY's personal weapons with the argentum powered variants without changing their shape and feel. Now calling out to the others, preparing to bring extra ammo along with the liquid dust that Drexel had provided (as our arms are compatible with both).

"Hey guys, ready to go?"

Ruby then turned quickly around carrying an apparently heavy duffle bag of various munition types attempted to salute while turning, but ended up falling under the weight of her burden due to a loss of balance instead. Yang simply picked up the overpacked weapons cache effortlessly along with her little sister.

"Maybe I should carry that instead?"

"Yeah, sis... Maybe."

Before I got a chance to even chuckle, the four legged furry fiend which the sister's Uncle Qrow had sent them bolted out from under Ruby's bed and knocked me over from behind in it's path to be what Weiss would call, 'cute'. Quickly leaving the dorm to escape the accursed creature and taking extra care to close the door behind me, I began to make my way to the annotated locker room.

* * *

><p><em>Beacon - Outside the Locker Room – Ren's Point of View<em>

Paradoxical Warfare. I wonder, who else took the synonym for what it really meant: _Unconventional Warfare_. After quickly checking the intranets and its various memes, I quickly searched for what passes as said combat methods.

It was beautiful.

Apparently Darth Sidious is the professor, the very same Darth who killed Jaune and brought him back again.

It was beautiful when it was quiet, the death scene almost made me hopeful that we would be free of the clutz. I would make an excellent great leader, we could even have a North Vale. I could pull it off.

Can't say I admire Sidious's style in special uniforms though, these forest camo uniforms are a bit bland for my taste. There should be at least two different neon colors in each getup. At least we can modify them in terms of how we wear em', but we can't "compromise the effectiveness of the camouflage".

No wonder they made the guy a professor, he's just as unimaginative as the rest of the staff. It would be beautiful if the headmaster took those 'anonymous' uniform complaint letters seriously, but again: no imagination. Oh look, the fashion illiterate dark lord otherwise known as Drexel speaks!

"Now that you're changed into your field uniforms..."

And indeed changed we are. Standing as skimpy as ever, Yang had decided to cut off significant quantities of fabric from her green and brown clad wear, leaving almost as much skin as camo in a moderately similar style to her day wear. In contrast, Ruby had added somehow a more childish looking touch without virtually changing everything and Weiss simply wore her uniform with a rather intimidating crisp clean perfection.

Time for mud grenades.

But thats not the best part.

Standing next to Pyrrha, sulks a moderately contemptuous Blake who was not permitted to bring her bow and had opted to be one of the only persons wearing an absolutely massive kevlar helmet aside from Pyrrha. Speaking of the second girl, see had chosen to carry every bit of tactical equipment she could carry with the exception of one of those ancient 'radios' that Drexel had suggested.

But that isn't even the best part either.

Jaune looked like an absolute idiot, trying to stand impressively around Weiss in order to attract her attention, the lopsided black military beret apparently ignoring the foolish wearer also. To add to the comical quality of the picture, the same Weiss appeared to have more interest in our instructor who had ditched his black hooded cape for a black well fit uniform which had gold trim at the cuffs, shoulders (which in gold, showed the rank of Major), pockets, (last)name tag, and even included gold buttons as well.

The black tactical leather shiny boots were probably the selling point, they reflect my perfect face so well. The only thing missing from this professor, was a buzzcut, who even had a pistol strapped to the upper of his leg and a bayonet in it's proper pocket.

"We're doing something called a Military Simulation, MilSim for short. We will be using these..."

Pausing again, the black and gold clad figure standing before this crowd of seven students raised what appeared to be a rifle. The weapon in question had a single, very thin barrel and resembled what the instructor claimed to be an "AK-47, because nobody knows what the AK-74u is".

I honestly don't know or care about either, just let me at a pair of submachine gun which resemble my pistols and you can even call me beautiful.

Hey, wait a second... Seven students... Where did Nora go?

The instant after I thought of this, the same Nora in question popped out of nowhere wearing a ghillie suit and tapped my nose.

"boop!"

After throwing the girl a glare, and wondering how a forest ghillie suit wouldn't have let her blend in to the rather more industrialized surroundings of Beacon, I refocused my attention to the guy again.

"These weapons only fire a certain type of bead, in magazines designed to carry 30 beads while simulating the full recoil of the kinetic-internal-combustion original gun. Made to shatter on impact, these beads will pass through your uniform effortlessly and painlessly as a liquid which will render you limp instantly in the according area for 5 minutes. Hits to the arms and legs will force limpness in the associative limb, while chest shots will render you limp, but unconscious. Please avoid headshots, as they knock the person out entirely and give a nasty headache for the remainder of the day."

Putting the rifle aside, the speaker then opened a box and removed a blunt metal bayonet.

"This is a stun bayonet, which has the same effects as the beads, but will render a person limp wherever you poke them. These can be fixed to the front of your rifles. We will be playing a 'MilSim' game where each team, RWBY and JNPR respectively, will fight for control over a certain area. One team will attack, the other will defend. There only rules are as follows: disabling your opponent entirely earns 3 points, disabling a limb earns only 1. Each game lasts only five minutes, and the game only ends if the defenders are eliminated or time runs out. The winning team is the side with the most points. The only way to gain points, is with a successful bayonet attack, or through striking your target with a bead through the use of your gun. You may achieve these ends with your weapons by any means you deep proper. "Team Killing" with be dealt with severely. Any questions?"

Naturally, Jaune raised his hand. Ignoring him entirely, Drexel continued.

"Good, follow me to the forest and I will issue rifles and bayonets accordingly."

* * *

><p><em>The Emerald Forest – Safe Zone – Nora's Point of View<em>

Its a pity Professor Torchwick used what he called a "first generation Grim repelling technology still in development" to clear out the Grim in the forest, I wanted to make my team the First Mounted Ursa Squad. That would have been awesome, and the guy did say we could take out our opponents any way we wanted.

At least the rifles look pretty.

Entirely back objects, we were also handed those bayonets and four clips: one to load, and the other three to store in our pockets. Quickly and easily fixing my bayonet onto my rifle, I switched the weapon to fully automatic while watching Ren and Yang struggle together in fixing their own false blades. Kinda amusing.

But the best part, is that I get to play sniper. I'm just gonna sneak around and shoot people in the back when they're not looking. I heard that it makes something called a 'ragequit', I wonder what that looks like.

Team RWBY was escorted ahead by Professor Torchwick to the area they would have to defend so that they could 'prepare it' for us. How thoughtful.

Finally, Jaune had started planning things out. Sitting in a circle, he began designating roles to each of us.

"Pyrrha and I are going to stay back, and hang about ten metres behind Nora and Ren. I want Nora, who has already proven to be a good sneak, to move ahead and scout what these defences look like with Ren. Ren will only follow close enough to stay out of sight, but to provide any fire support that Nora will need if she gets spotted so that she can come back and report whats up ahead. Now remember that our five minutes have been increased to fifteen, and don't start until someone fires a shot. You guys with me so far?"

Each of us nodding, our leader continued.

"Once we figure out what's happening, Nora will pick someone from team RWBY as Pyrrha and I sneak around so we can attack from the sides or behind. One last thing."

Removing four grenades from a bag which Professor Torchwick gave him while team RWBY wasn't looking, and passed them out.

"These are stun grenades with a three second delay. We each get three. Note that team RWBY doesn't know we have these, and to compensate, I'm guessing Drexel is giving them some kind of advantage, but he would only tell me that they don't have grenades. Once we see a green flare, the match begins. Don't bother trying in using your semblances, they're useless here. Everyone ready?"

* * *

><p><em>Emerald<em>_ Forest – Safe Zone, RWBY Defences – Drexel's Point of View_

The four girls gathered around, each holding their rifles, I began to give them the same quick briefing that Jaune should be giving his team now, without the tactical planning.

"See this entire area here?"

Pointing to the series of stacked tree trunks, high enough to protect even short little Ruby that she could stand behind them and shoot with enough protection to simulate sandbags, a series of well hidden tunnels allowing the defenders to slip behind the interlopers, all defending one building, I broke into details.

"This is yours for the match. Your job is to defend it, you know the rules. The other team, however has a specific advantage: I gave them something which will make their jobs much easier if used correctly. They also have a sniper, although somewhat limited with a lack of any ability to zoom into the targets. You all have iron sights."

Speaking for her team, Ruby interjected.

"This isn't fair, this game is stacked against us! We don't even know where those tunnels you mentioned on the way here even are!"

In reply, I simply gave Ruby a package of four maps.

"I will tell you this: they don't have maps, and the tunnel trap doors wont open for them. Your uniforms have embedded chips which identify team RWBY from JNPR which the trapdoors in question 'look' for. You can render whatever I gave them useless, if you get your cohesion and tactics right. You have five minutes to check your maps, when you're done with them, hide them. Note that you cannot use your semblances here."

Walking away, I left their girls to their quick planning and took my seat in the observation tower which allowed me to monitor the cameras and tracking devices in their uniforms. Hearing the thud of Blake throwing away her helmet leaving her cat eats fully exposed, I could only think one thing:

_Should have brought popcorn._


	31. Chapter 31

_Emerald Forest – Safe Zone, Outside the RWBY Defenses – Nora's Point of View_

Using a giant rubber band (which I intended to attack Ren with) and a conveniently shaped stick that I found, I fit my grenade into this makeshift slingshot. Propelling the explosive, intentionally failing to pull the pin (to avoid detonation), I tested the range of the last minute launcher.

_Beautiful. They'll never see it coming._

Retrieving my grenade and climbing a tree which was had a decent overview of the opponent's defenses, silently and quickly, I saw the enemy's plan instantly. It seemed as if they intended to use Ruby (due to her experience with her sniper rifle) as their marks-woman and keeping the three others as a typical frontal defence, with the other three taking good positions behind fallen logs which they arranged leafy branches around as some form of blind age.

Climbing back down unnoticed, I brought Ren back with me as I made my way to report what I had found. Walking up to the team leader, I took a seat on a tree stump and began my report.

"They have Ruby as a sniper and the others behind cover. Ruby is kinda far back, so she will be hard to hit although it seems they're expecting her to be accurate with her rifle. It seems strange, though..."

Interested, Jaune asked me to continue.

"They're only defending from the front. While there is no way to attack from behind, the left and right sides are completely exposed."

Quickly making a decision, the blonde rifleman took no time in issuing his orders.

"Then Pyrrha and I are going to attack from the left. You two attack from the right. The signal to attack will be Nora shooting Ruby, so we don't have to deal with getting pinned down by any of this. Lets move."

_Emerald__ Forest – Safe Zone, - Ruby's Camping Spot and Highgrounds– Ruby's Point of View_

They are taking forever. Sure they're my friends, but I just want to shoot them and get it over with. Who knows, maybe next time I'll get a fancy old sniper rifle like the one Drexel brags about so much.

Apparently his traditional kinetic-combustion marksman's rifle is more accurate and powerful then any dust rifle, with enough recoil to knock me off my feet.

It would be funny to see hyperactive Nora get hit while trying to run around by a stun bead from that thing.

_**Zippp.. CLANG!**_

Quickly dropping behind the small handful of barrels I moved to offer me some cover, I looked towards the location of the sound, only to see a pink inky splatter against a sheet of metal. Someone had tried to shoot me! Looking around the corner of my barrel wall, I could just make out Nora, hiding in a tree.

Dammit Nora!

Before I could mentally provide any further protest, I reflexively hid back behind cover as another stun bead sped through the space that I was occupying just a second ago.

_Looks like I was right. Time to get the plan into gear._

Just as I was preparing to climb down the trapdoor from the roof of this cozy little spot, I could see a confused Jaune and Pyrrha look around for the remainder of my team which they had clearly spotted just moments ago.

* * *

><p><em>Emerald<em>_ Forest – Safe Zone, - RWBY Defences – Pyrrha's Point of View_

Something isn't right. We walked right into the network of stacked fallen logs, and surprisingly, a few small foxholes... Only to find nothing. Its as if team RWBY disappeared. Keeping a low profile, all of my team now unified as one group, we continued to pick our way deeper in to take the building: the thing that appeared to be the best fortification. As I kept walking forwards, I spotted a bit of paper, mostly buried in the dirt.

"Hey guys, look at this..."

Pulling the paper out of the ground, despite Nora's objection due to traps, I brushed off the dirt from the sheet. Interested, Jaune bent over to read the paper which I now had spread out atop a log.

"A map... This is what Drexel gave them? Looks like a pen too... Damn. Looks like there's a tunnel system all around us, and they intend to use to to pick us off."

Skeptically, Ren spoke up for the first time all day. "What if they wanted us to find it?"

Shaking his head, Nora gave the reply. "Look, it has Ruby's name on it, and is the only map here. Based on the footprints that can't be ours all over here, it looks like this is where they did their planning, and then wanted to get rid of the map. She really isn't good at hiding things, I steal her cookies all the time. Plus, if they wanted us to find it, wouldn't there be more? Drexel gave each of us a grenade, therefore he probably gave all of them maps."

None of us objecting to what sounded like solid reasoning, we split up, with Ren and Nora moving to monitor one set of tunnel entrances, with Jaune and I taking our own set.

_This is going to be easier than I thought._

* * *

><p><em>Emerald<em>_ Forest – Safe Zone, - Inside the Building – Yang's Point of View_

This is perfectly wrong. The one time that Blake takes her bow off, and wears that sexy uniform, is the same time that we're probably being monitored by Drexel and surrounded by the rest of my team. To top it all off, I'm holding a weapon capable of paralyzing the kitty faunus in a way that she would not be able to resist me.

On the other hand, we got team JNPR thinking that we're holed up in the tunnels when we're really at the best vantage point on the field, ready to cut them all down. Even better, the very same Blake with those beautiful ears overheard JNPR's advantage: grenades. Who ever simply talks about their secret advantage on a battlefield when the enemy suddenly turns absent anyways?

_This is going to be easier than I thought._

"See Weiss? Told you this would work." Leave it to Ruby to gloat about her master plan to the Heiress.

"This is based on such a childish premise... I expect more from trainee huntresses."

"Who cares about those things, Weiss? We're kids! Besides, this will teach her for stealing my hidden cookies."

Wait, hidden cookies? Time for the big bad sister to step in on this one.

"Hey Ruby, I thought we put you on a sugar ration. And you're hiding cookies to evade this ban? You fiend! You know the punishment for this."

At this moment, we all turned on our leader with our weapons put aside.

"You guys wouldn't! Right, guys?" Uh... Guys?"

* * *

><p><em>Emerald<em>_ Forest – Safe Zone, - Patrolling the Tunnel Trapdoors – Ren's Point of View_

What... The hell?

Turning towards the direction of the sounds of this dark torture, I could not help but wonder what poor, tiny, squeaky, creature was being skinned alive in the only building in the area.

Seriously, just kill it already. I'm hungry, and the small ones are usually the most tender.

Quickly regrouping with Pyrrha and Jaune, Nora following close behind, we gathered and began to pool together our observations.

"Sounds like Ruby is being... Tickled?"

Oh. Looks like Pyrrha has the best ears of the group, I could almost swear that Nora was going to suggest that someone was playing fetch with an Ursa Major. But I could notice that something strange in our leader... Dilated pupils? Are these giggles of Ruby honestly turning this guy on? Yep, indeed they have. Proof of this? While looking down, Pyrrha's face became as red as her hair as she quickly looked away.

This guy really needs to open his eyes, or at least get his interests straight. Taking his turn to speak, the blonde piped up.

"Well... They clearly aren't prepared for any attack... Lets attack, I guess."

Damn pervert.

* * *

><p><em>Emerald<em>_ Forest – Safe Zone, - The Control Room – Drexel's Point of View_

"Seriously Steve, get off my displays! I need to these these bits of raw data, someone has to keep these trigger happy teenagers in check!"

The Fire Ferret had decided to sprawl over the main control screen, a large device, which monitored the location of each individual down on the battlefield, including medical statistics (heart rate, body temperature, nervous status: they would tell me if someone was knocked out or disabled, so I could award points accordingly), the direction that they're facing (so I could award they individual accolades for battlefield performance and academic grading based on their tactics and kills), including a closed caption bar for each team so that I could know what they're saying to each other.

Somehow, the damn Lore-Master had managed to block the whole screen with just her limbs and tail!

"Dammit Drexel, I was having a nice nap until you showed up."

"Nap on someone elses graphical combat interface! At this rate, Yang is going to have her way with Blake in the middle of the battlefield assuming that Blake gets shot first! The potential legal fiasco that would ensue..."

"Let me guess: you sensed hyperactive sensual activity and an increased heart rate in Yang the instant the kitty dropped her helmet. Speaking about kitties, you need a haircut. Your ears are too cute to hide."

Feeling my face turning a deeper shade of red than Ruby's hair, I hissed at the little ferret before picking her up and throwing her away.

"Screw you Drexel!"

"Likewise, my old friend."

Ducking a firebolt which would have clipped the back of my head, courtesy of Steve, I retook my seat behind the keyboard, mouse, and bank of displays.

_Looks like RWBY's antics gave up their position. _

With Ruby's medical statistics flying through the roof, a typical response to such intense tickling against such sensitive neural arrays, one of the screens depicted a rifle discharge warning, followed by a sudden jump, then a drop in Blake's neural patterns.

_Blake is hit!_

* * *

><p><em>Emerald<em>_ Forest – Safe Zone, - Inside the Building – Ruby's Point of View_

Yang could have instigated this any other time. Now this foolishness has given those other people a whole set of three points! Blake had collapsed on top of me, limp, prompting me to roll her off. Once we all took cover, Weiss spoke up.

"She was shot in the back with a green bead, look at it's color... Ren did this! Lets get out of here... I suggest that Ruby and I slip out and use the tunnels, Yang can stay here and cause a distraction."

Concerned for our faunus, I could not but help question an annoying voice in the back of my mind.

"What about Blake?"

Yang took the reply into her own hands, by forcing us out the back door. Running off into the nearest tunnel network entrance, we began to work our way behind the JNPR assault as Yang offered her cover fire.

* * *

><p><em>Emerald<em>_ Forest – Safe Zone, - The Control Room – Drexel's Point of View_

They're roommates, how could those girls not suspect any potential... Nasty... Stuff... From Yang onto the stunned faunus? Dammit, along with every single last intimate detail to hell and the twilight fan page (one of the layers of hell)!

Drawing my pistol, a weapon built and loaded for the purpose of firing colorless stun beads, I formed a teleportation glyph and used it to enter the bottom floor of the building Yang occupied.

Suddenly being confronted by a Yang, sitting atop a helpless cat faunus, I walked up to Yang from behind. Grabbing her from the back of the collar, I pulled her off her teammate.

"Sorry Yang, but you will have to do experiment with a willing subject when out of class. Enjoy your migraine."

Before she could react or reply, I simply shot her in the side of the head with my stun pistol.

Its too bad that team RWBY was subjected to this unfortunate turn of events. Their plan was perfect, and would have resulted in the destruction of JNPR through a perfect win. This childish failure costed the team half of it's effective fighting force, and literally gave away seven points (the extra three provided from Yang, one additional as a penalty for misconduct).

Gently laying the blonde on the ground as not to hurt her any further, I teleported back to my observation tower and observed the remained of the match whilst appriciating the sounds of combusting stun bead grenades (because compressed gas grenades are for the weak. Fret not, the casings are made from a specialzied non-soluable paper mache which simply burns away harmlessly).

Irony aside, of this coming from a child, what good can there be from arming teenagers with weapons that outage them by a millenia? Sending a disgraced Lore-Master former honor bodyguard (in training) to turn an enemy camp into a slaughterhouse is one sin. Building a child army is an entirely different story, not from the perspective of changing their childhoods, but the soldier that will die if this attempt at a crack force of shock troops fail.

_After seeing this, is it truly justified to abandon my pretense of hope? No, irrelevant of what my weak eyes see, assisted by an energy semblance which allows me to sense more than any living thing should; I know that a surrender of hope for them I also surrender any chance I Might of had at survival. For the first time ever, I have begun to enjoy breathing, anticipating not only the next breath but the hopeful thousands to come. I have something to draw air for: someone that I can hold on to, and perhaps the chance of going to the halls of my forebears as not a disgraced warrior but as the Honor Guard I was made to be._

_I had insisted Valesian permission to create such a diplomatic team, since the city of Loria, fifth kingdom of Remnant and home of the Lore-Masters have contacted me with startling news. I have betrayed nobody. Omega must be averted, not only for my sake but the sake of that which I hold dear. Many other secrets have been revealed. I will only elaborate on Omega._

_If they cannot break the rules of time and time's fragile, with team RWBY being the most capable of doing so, then how can I? I called this Paradoxical Warfare because I, must die for this world to live. _

_Time? Well Dammit Steve, it's time for a Paradox._


	32. Chapter 32

_Lorian Council Secret Archives of the Fifth Hidden Kingdom of Remnant and City of the Last Lore-Masters_

_Begin – Page 1_

_**WARNING! THE FOLLOW DOCUMENT IS FOR ENTITY 1 EYES ONLY! **_

_**READING BY ANY CITIZEN WITHOUT SPECIFIED CLEARANCE IS TREASON, PUNISHABLE BY DEATH!**_

_**COPYING BY ANY SUBJECT OF THE FOUR KINGDOMS IS A DECLARATION OF WAR, PUNISHABLE BY GENOCIDE!**_

_End – Page 1_

* * *

><p><em>Begin – Page 2<em>

_**THE FOLLOWING OBJECT (ENTITY 1) IS AN ACTIVE **_"A7" **_CLASS WEAPON_**

_**STATUS: **_- deployed-

_**STAGE: **_-terminal-

_**LIFESPAN: -**_null-

Terminology:

Entity 1: An experimental sentient bio-weapon known as Subject Drexel. Entity 1 is a highly unstable fire and forget weapon designed to disrupt the anticipate time-line known as Alpha.

Entity 2: An experimental sentient bio-weapon known as Subject Steve. Entity 2 exists to be destroyed by Entity 1 should Entity 2 be incapable of mainining control of the situation.

Omega: The only of two (2) accurate predictions by Loria's circle of eighteen (18) scryers. Discloses the destruction of all five kingdoms of Remnant.

Alpha: The second of two (2) sccurate predictions by Loria's circle of eighteen (18) scryers. Discloses an alternate realistic path to evade the destruction of all five kingdoms of Remnant.

Notes:

_**THIS SECTION BLANK**_

_End – Page 2_

* * *

><p><em>Begin – Page 3<em>

Document Primary Content:

The weapon, _**Entity 1**_ annotated in this document is the successful Lorian attempt at building a sentient biological structure capable of emitting a synthetic aura, operating with sentience, fulling full faunus physical capacities and the associative Lorian "Lore-Master" traits (lightning basis) with the purpose of of self development and deployment within the Kingdom of Vale with the constructed purpose as serving as counter-argument _**Alpha**_.

Should _**Entity 1**_ fail to eliminate the threat of _**Omega **_and make _**Alpha **_a real element of reality, _**Entity 1**_ will self destruct through the process of automatically activating the particles known as Phlogiston within itself.

The first fail safe is a psychological mechanism within _**Entity 1**_ to react violently against the turning points within time which would make _**Omega **_an inescapable future with the self impression of duty.

The second fail safe is _**Entity 2**_, which exists to ensure that _**Entity 1**_ does not overcome the psychological mechanism mentioned in the first fail safe.

Failure of fail safes one and two will result in the triggering of _**Omega**_ and the self destruction of _**Entity 1 **_and _**Entity 2**_ which would survive _**Omega **_unless some self destruct measure was enacted. The self destruct measure in question, is the detonation of a series of indestructible micro explosives scattered randomly throughout the brains of _**Entity 1 **_and _**Entity 2 **_which are triggered by the occurrence of **Omega.**

_End – Page 3_

* * *

><p><em>Begin – Page 4<em>

Potential Resolutions:

_**Omega**_, and therefore the destruction of the human/faunus primary populations of Remnant. Self destruction of **_Entity 1 _**and _**Entity 2**_ triggered.

_**Alpha, **_and therefore the survival of the human/faunus primary populations of Remnant and the re-surfacing of Loria, the fifth kingdom of Remnant. Self destruction of **_Entity 1 _**and _**Entity 2**_ pernamently evaded, with **_Entity 1 _**killing -**DATA EXPUNGED-**

_End, Page 4_

* * *

><p><em>Drexel's Thoughts <em>

This is the only information we have, the most accurate representation of this world's potential fate.

And it's wrong.

It's wrong, I know it.

I have seen it all myself though my own gifts.

And I can't trust you.

That's right, you.

You, the shadow which has been hanging in not only my mind, but the minds of us all.

I can sense you. I can feel you. I know you have been looking through our eyes, to ascertain our corresponding points of view on the situation.

I will kill you. I know you are Omega.

What a fitting name for something shrouded in such mystery: Omega.

The last letter of the Greek phonetic alphabet. The end, a term which has been found in ancient documents, including what some have termed as "The Bible".

A good read. But not if you destroy it.

Not if you destroy Remnant,

Vale,

Beacon,

_Or Weiss._

I will kill you. It will bring the destruction of me, what some would call _death_.

What an ambiguous name... _Death_...

I have faked it before. Even cheated it. Why can't I do it again? Those other "scryers" never get it right. And you are to find that I will no longer wear my thoughts on my skin.

I know you have made Ruby bitter against me. Young girls do not assume suspicion from void, I could sense your effects on her since the day you brought Torchwick to kill my family.

You were going to use him to break me into the monster that would kill off team RWBY.

But my mind is stronger than your will. It is simply the way I was made.

I know you have revealed to her the falsehood that I killed Mrs. Schnee, also distorting reality futhermore to permit that lie. For the same reason, the woman's first daughter had no issue accepting or forgiving me. Your illusions are unacceptable.

That woman died in childbirth for her second daughter's life.

A pity. It destroyed the man who would become the tyrant behind the chair of the Schnee Dust Company.

I declare war against you, Omega. I am the synthetic weapon of the Free Lore-Masters, and I will wage a war within time that will destroy you. There are other solutions to the book that is my story.

Your servant who is General Ironwood will not prevail, nor will his automation which he has named "Penny" endure against a living machine, who has made himself a machine of bones and muscle more durable, and far to strong for a dust weapon to tear through, let alone a kinetic-combustion weapon's bullet wound.

I discard you. I discard you from my mind. I discard you from my country, which you have brought turmoil against. I discard you from the lives of those who I hold dear.

We have already done this. But now you know.

I cannot in truth stop you from looking through our eyes, with the understanding of those who you believe to be below you.

But I can hide the truth in the folds and behind doors of my mind which you cannot reach.

And I will.

I will say this: it is the number of four teenage girls which are your threat, but only if they're shielded from you.

As the bodyguard to the high Lorian council, I cannot say that I approve of four outsiders standing in command of Loria, but it is best. At least it will be me in control of the military forces.

These four each have their own colors. They are appropriate, as they are accurate.

Red, as in Ruby and the blood which this will spill. But why must our leader be childish, even innocent... And be required to choose the lives of some over others?

White, as in Weiss and the cold chill which you bring to those who fear you. It is only fitting that a strange creature, equally cold should stand against you.

Black, as in Blake: the nature of the dark people you take body in. It is only natural that someone who lives to run, as you do would be the one who understands your weaknesses: both of you equally share these flaws.

Yang, as in Yellow and the muzzle flashes of the traditional guns that we will use to make your numbers melt away like a hot knife though butter. How ironic that someone who grows in strength with pain and hurt would be the one you will press the most of your strength against.

Why must these girls be Lore-Masters like I? Why had I not noticed their obviously powerful energy semblances in themselves? Speed, being kinetic energy. Glyphs, the focus of energies that not even I understand. The ability to form a shadow of one's self as substance: a complex atomic trick of great rarity. And finally, a traditional and universal ability, one of the powers which I also employ: to take damage and use it as sheer, unadulterated power.

The old guard of the previous council before me built me to truly protect these girls: the to-be backbone of the effort against you.

But why did that transmitted document fail to tell the truth? My role in this minimal, why pretend otherwise?


	33. Chapter 33

_Beacon – Hospital Wing – Drexel's Point of View_

Everyone finally back into a sufficently concious state for a final debriefing, we all gathered around, now all dressed in our regular attire (and therefore me in my cloak). Standing outside the door, blocking everyone's exit, I took the opportunity give all the minimal details that my students thought they were entitled to.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I bring upon you the results of our premilinary combat simulation. The game had been marked by a surprising twist: a team RWBY win, spearheaded by no other than Ruby herself. It seems that the fall of Weiss through a stun bead to the gut had triggered some degree of rage allowing the youngest member of our class to take down team JNPR singlehandedly."

Not really much of a personal achivement to the girl, in all honesty. That slingshot idea by Nora was nearly flawless and should have worked... But grenades don't explode unless you pull the pin. If all of JNPR had not been so tightly clusted together once they trapped Ruby in the corner, then their own weapon would not have formed their own defeat.

"Overall, team RWBY has gained a full 12 points for the match. Team JNPR however had gained significantly despite their defeat gaining a total of 10 points. Jaune, I now adress you directly."

The blonde now intrested more than previously, I could see his focus shift totally to me.

"You operating your team with a near flawless cohesion, and maintained a focus of objective throughout. As per Ruby..."

The only and youngest survivor of the match, there was no doubt that she too had her sole intrest on me as well.

"Each match will end with a single accolade. The pair of you had full well earned it due to a superior preformance when held in comparason to your collegues."

To this, the expectations in the room could be almost tangible, as if they could be alit by any rogue fire ferret. What could the Lore-Master, the target of many rumors summative equally to great power and foolishness had prepared for the two holders of the now visable crown?

"You guys get this small cookie."

Pulling a wrapped, small brownie from underneith my cloak, I quickly corrected myself.

"Rather, you victors earned the privlage of sharing this not very magical morsel of sucsess."

Handing it over to Jaune so that the two of them may sort out their own prize. As Jaune was about to draw his sword, presumably to equally divide the rather lame treat, something unexpected to the knight has striken him smitten.

Being the younger girl of both an entire team, but a family of two girls, one could accurately assume that Ruby has always achived the skill of an adept within the practice of achiving her whims. Naturally, such a natural adept at the skill in question would posess an arsenel of equally deadly and harmless methods of taking whatever she pleased.

The large eyes of the redhead seemed to tripple, the tilt of her head almost compelling enough to knock down the most resiliant tower of Beacon, the subtly provocative posture (whether cute, beautiful or sexy is a matter of lawyer grade argument)... It took only seconds for the leader of team JNPR to surrender the entire item of goodness and contemptable size to scythe of Ruby's sweet tooth.

Meanwhile, Yang had taken a seat with the assistance of a stool with her back against the wall. Tilting her head back, I could only guess one reason.

_Must be one hell of a migraine. Naturally, you don't remember the events leading up to the headshot and therefore the reason for it... But Blake does. It was only her limbs that were paralyzed._

Raising her hand with her unique enthusiasm, Nora made clear that she posessed a question.

"Yes, Nora?"

"Why do we have 10 points? I can understand the 9 from the shooting of Blake, Yang... Who shot Yang? Well, and Weiss too..."

"Simple. Yang had broken school rules and therefore cheated. I credited JNPR with 3 + 1 points for that reason. I had personally intervened and shot Yang in the head, a personal message that rule breakers will be punished. No further questions."

Turning around and leaving, I began to walk my way through the halls of Beacon. While they may not exactly be my personal taste, they are of well structural, functional, as aesthetic design. They could have used superior materials at a cheeper price, though.

Then realizing something critical, I looked behind me to be sure that nobody was looking before I shape shifted into my cat form.

_I can't go home, not yet._

* * *

><p><em>Fifteen Minutes Later – Beacon – RWBY Dorm – Drexel's Point of View<em>

Sitting most visably on the window sill, still as a cat, I watched the events before me unfold. As long as they don't launch any form of projective at me, I anticipate that I will be safe at my current position.

"So what do you think about these new classes? With those stun guns?"

Stopping, amid re-arranging the sheets of her bed, Weiss concidered the question which originated from her leader. With Yang burrowed underneith her bed sheets, unmoving upon her own bed and Blake far lost within her book, the Heiress took the oportunity to answer.

"I think I could have enjoyed using them much more if I actually got the chance to shoot someone with them. But getting hit wasn't that bad, I just fell over and daydreamed for a few minutes."

An annoyed groan from the general direction of Yang's sheet bunker suggested far otherwise from their peer.

"Even if the big sis didn't get the best of times from the weapons, I liked them. I fired it around for a bit, the recoil isn't far too different from the Cresent Rose's sniper mode. It was fun. Hey Blake? What exactly did Yang do to get shot in the head by Drexel? It almost seems like he wanted to do exactly this to her..."

Prefering not to talk about the matter, the cat faunus simply replied "Why don't you just ask Drexel?"

"But he isn't here."

Raising a finger to point directly at me, Blake managed to redirect all attention from her. To me. Yay. Simply flicking my tail a few times non-chalontly, I awaited the question which the girl had refused to answer.

"Hey! You! Teacher... Guy! Why did you shoot my sister?"

Rather than answering Ruby's question, I turned a glance to Blake. Not even looking up, she simply nodded to answer my unworded question: "Should I really"?

Jumping to the floor, I transformed back into faunus in mid jump.

"I monitor all occurances upon my battlegrounds. Yang had attempted to... Make alternate usage of her companion's disability, do you understand?"

The light of understanding had reacher Weiss's eyes, but missed Ruby entirely. With the younger girl's confusion evidant, I simply cut things short.

"Your sister broke school policy, and even the law in a method unprecidented within the school's history. She was punished accordingly."

Skeptical, Weiss asked the next question. "Since when did you ever care about the law?"

Taking a seat upon the sill of the open window, I gave my honest answer.

"I intend to act differently as expected of a person making efforts to change. I cannot live as a criminal forever, not the kind I was during my past before Beacon. There are things I have done which I have not mentioned, nor will I ever elaborate upon. These are my things, and will never have any effect upon any of you. My word on this matter should be more than enough."

No reply. The best reply I could get. Rather, some reply, as Yang suddenly burst from under her bead sheets with a fist raised and an argentum shell within it loaded bearing a direct path for my head. With perfect timing, I counterattacked using a perfect roundhouse kick, allowing me to evade her vicious assault and strike her accordingly with little effort. The blonde now laying back upon her bed, face down, I retook my seat at the sill.

Moderately impressed and annoyed at my apt preformance, Rubt brought forwards another question.

"Why are you here?"

Chuckling with only partial amusement, I dawdled towards an acceptable reply.

"Funny story, actually... Well... Turns out that currently that the faunus are entering something which your average individual would call 'heat'..."

In reaction, out drawn came the Myrentaster and the Cresent Rose, each in the respective hands of their owners.

"Fret not, my ladies..." I opened my cloak to show a hanging IV bag, wired into my body. "I'm using a personal chemical concoction to counter this. Well, Steve is on heat."

Putting their weapons away, Weiss took her turn in raising a question.

"Isn't Steve a Fire Ferret? Wait.. You don't mean that you..."

Putting my bag aside where it belongs and closing my cloak, I quickly corrected the teenager.

"No, No! Rather, I recently found out that Steve is a Lore-Master... And Lore-Master faunus can shift back and forth to completely assume the form of the animal they resemble at no more than a personal whim. This entire time, a teenage girl at around my age has been living a significant portion of her life in my pocket, without me knowing better."

Another groan, then had emitted from the blonde on her bed, still laying where she fell. Simply throwing a bottle of pills and a water bottle beside her, I had otherwise ignored the casualty of a different kind of war. With an economy of movement, Yang unquestioningly took two pills and a good drink of water before dissapearing back under her sheets.

"Steven doesn't exactly know chemistry as I do. So I simply sealed my home so that none within can exit for a set period of time, in order to contain the girl. She has everything she could need or want within the place, that much is true. I simply will allow her to... Cool off..."

Tilting her head to one side, Ruby placed her hands on her hips and offered an insight.

"I'm guessing you intend to stay here until then?"

"Please?"

"No! This is a girl's dorm!"

"If it's any comfort, I can't exactly see."

"Thats bull."

"No, it's honest. I use my semblance to detect body heat, electrical pulses within the nervous system, differences in the temperatures between people and objects, the unique different signatures of different semblances... I don't know what your faces even look like. I simply learned to remember the look of your semblances, and the sounds of your voices. Remember the blindfold I used when I fought Jaune? I don't use my eyes anyways, and when I do, everything is a blur. Sure I can deflect sword cuts and shuffle out of the way, but thats seeing changes in color: movement. Asides from a very limited ability to see movement..."

Finishing my long winded point, Weiss took over.

"You literaly are defenseless without your semblance. Is this why you are teaching us not to use dust weapons and our semblances? Did Torchwick develop a weapon that makes our semblances and dust equipment useless?"

Simply nodding, I finished my plea.

"You can keep me blindfolded if you must. I only intend to linger on this windowsill as a cat until nightfall."

A note of genuine concern, perhaps out of either pity, true concern, or both, the heiress posed another query.

"Where are you going to sleep?"

Simply shrugging, I offered an answer to a topic which I had not yet contemplated.

"The school roof, I guess. The shingles are dark and do a great job of maintaining much warmth, and make a pleasant place to sleep a few hours for. I sleep very little at night anyways, spending much time roaming Vale or Beacon so it therefore will be no bother. It isn't the first time that I have done this, both out of desire and sometimes need, worry not."

Yang now coming around, the medicine designed to counteract the chemicals in the stun beads which cause migranes when applied to the head now in full effect, she had repositioned herself upright on her bed.

"I got nothing against letting him hold onto the sill. You guys?"

General nods and mumblings of consent were the general answer.

"You're all too kind."

Simply returning to my prefered cat form, and taking my place on the windowsill, I lowered myself down to the slab of stone which had been warmed by the now dying sunlight of sunset gratefully. Sensing Blake, who had taken off her bow and used it's lace to form a blindfold around my head before the girls began to make their own evening preparations for their sleep. Taking care to point the direction of my head towards the outside, I lowered my head too and began to relax, my black fur soaking in the last rays of the sun.


	34. Chapter 34

_Beacon – RWBY Dorm – Drexel's Point of View_

Ture to my word, it took only a matter of hours for me to feel fully rested. Fully awake, I jumped down to the floor from the windowsill only to jump onto an unocupied section of Blake's bed. Using a paw to remove the blindfold, I picked it up with my mouth and left it beside the girl's face so that she would have it in the morning.

I don't blame her for wanting to hide how she is a faunus. I do the same myself. Despite my own personal desires, I will be in requirement of a haircut sooner than later, irrelevant of my current position within the Schnee Dust Company.

All of the now irrelevant, I decided to use to open window as my form of egress: there are things which must be done tonight.

Recently I have heard rumor that the White Fang had been developing a strange weapon, of unknown origin. It is only appropriate that I go and learn the nature of this device. Even worse, these sayings had surfaced at exactly the same time that a security alert within the Schnee Dust Company's data base, suggesting that protected information had been copied and therefore stolen by an unknown entity. My worst fear, is that argentum's secrets have now been unleashed to a power which has stood against Vale in the past. If the anti-semblance systems I had faced before ever get tied into a system which even indirectly uses only the passive attributes of argentum?

We would have to prepare to fight in a way where we abandon our dust and semblances. Just that alone would mean that the Grim which exist in plenty would have a field day.

Walking, still as a cat along the roof path of Beacon which I would use to begin a long midnight walk, I continued to dwell in my pessimistic views of that this new thing could be.

* * *

><p><em>An Hour Later – Drexel's Point of View<em>

Wandering along the last known points of significant White Fang influence from outside Vale, I could not help but notice a semi-constructed object which appeared to be a half-built radar tower. How could I honestly not sense it's presance? With a surprisingly strong capacity ability to see heat (which my last encounter with an anti-semblance tower had not been able to totally ebb into uselessness), not being able to notice the cold steel against the warm air would have been a stark note of incompetance.

Continuing my late night wander, one thing slowly began to be clear: unmistakable sights of life had marked this area, particularly though the emittance of heat from the apparently abandoned buildings up ahead. Who would bother to heat an empty, run down struture? Eventually arriving on the front porch of the large house which sat next to the half built tower, I could soon pick out one voice from a set of many.

_Roman!_

Retreating to a blind spot of the building, I shifted back into my human form with my black cloak guaranteeing an abilty to slip through the property unnoticed while being able to put up a better fight than if I maintained the guise of a housecat. Sneaking around to the base of the tower, I soon saw what I feared: an argentum generator. With power such as this, one would be able to easily and cheeply power a system which fully and properly renders semblances and dust technologies useless, rather than the previous system which was simply annoying. Even worse, this tower would be able to transmit its effects over a specific area!

Thankfully, I don't need C4 or thermite to destroy this contraption. Simply the presance of badly refined argentum exposed to a spark is enough to put a large crater in the place of this building and weapon. A weak, long range bolt of lightning aimed at the steel tower would do just as well to allow me the destruction of this entire setup without being held in the danger zone. But first? I think it's time for a visit.

Walking up the the front door and using and taking off my cloak to reveal silk black vest, a white dress shirt, and black dress pants all complimented by a pair of tactical boots, I simply knocked on the rickety wooden door. Instantly, all sounds of voice inside the building died out, replaced with the mixed shuffling of people searching for their weapons.

"Hey Roman! Its the little brother, relax and open up!"

Annoyed for the startle, the guards did as requested and had stood down: times before I had directly dealt with these same men, even directing robberies and hits with them. Seconds later, Roman Torchwick had walked though the door and onto the porch with a lantern. Putting it on the ground and taking a seat in one of two empty chairs, he gestured for me to take the second. Obliging, I opened our discussion with the pleasentries.

"Hey, hey. How be the scheme of general chaos and lawlessness?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. More taskings from Cinder than any living person can realistically handle, assuming that they don't have a few armies at their disposal. But things would be easier if two of her closest lapdogs, currently acting as Beacon students DIDN'T see you running around as one of their academic peers."

"They flatter themselves. I am no mere student, but a professsor."

"You are going to be the Death of me, Drexel."

"Be thankful, things are shaping up into a war that none of us will be able to throttle, particularly with you using my argentum."

"Its yours, that super dust? Just call it super dust, it rolls much better."

"Argentum."

Exasperated, the theif to my left withdrew a pair of cigars from his jacket.

"Dammit Roman, are you insane? The Argentum you do have is sufficently unstable to kill us all from a nearby spark! Why are you even using electric lighting, or these more primitive lanterns!"

Now truly annoyed, the man I used to proudly call 'Big Brother' stowed his cigars back into his jacket.

"This is why I need you back. Besides, why didn't you bring this beautifully destructive technology to me first?"

"Because I did not simply want it to be weaponized. Since the practice of modifying dust thus integrating it into nuclear weapons and power sources, it is the worst idea in the history of technology, at least at this scale! You could use it to improve existing dust weapons, that's fine, improved output in all aspects was my intended goal. But this..."

Shaking his head, Torchwick left to his own matters within the building with only one remark.

"You've grown soft."

_Soft? I'll show you soft. _

Before Roman could summon guards to attempt to capture me, I took the opportunity of solitude and used it to escape in the form of a black cat. Leaving the fanged henchmen puzzled I escaped from the anticipated radius of the blast before using a small quantity of the argentum I always carry with me to fire a bolt of energy at the tip of the tower. The spark rapidly jumping to the base, it struck the argentum container which it's generator was attatched to, and caused a brilliant explosion.

_I can kill you. I can kill everyone in Vale. Just a small vial of by best argentum can level this corner of Remnant. I can become the new god of this world, through sheer power, even conquering Loria... But I am strong, because I choose not to. I choose to serve those who I were made to serve. This notion of becoming some juggernaut were a selfish delusion. I belong at the feet of those girls which call themselves RWBY, because I exist to protect the next Lorian High Council, the group which takes the suggestions of the Lorian Lower Council and holds a vote upon them. That is the future, not some technology which I will try and convince myself is not a weapon of mass destruction that I designed in my basement. _

As I sat and watched the fireworks display, this time, I knew one thing for certain. I could see Torchwick's aura ebb into the flames accompanied by a series of smaller explosions no doubt due to the dust weaponry that was hidden within the large house. It felt as if a thick and heavy lead blanket, accompanied by the darkest of vales were lifted from my sight. As I began to walk back to Beacon in the form of a human, it seemed as if I could breath properly for the first time. Had Torchwick's influence weakened me this whole time? Was he a part of you, who is Omega? Or am I part of the disease which will destroy this land, the unwitting trojan horse?

_Irrelevant of my thoughts, one thing has been revealed to me through that beautiful gift which is scrying. Torchwick made himself a target the instant his existence became known to me. But Cinder, who would have to die next will be a much harder and smarter target, partially because she isn't dumb enough not to recognize an unstable chemical compound, but because she really had affected me during the days when she took time aside to teach me proper swordplay. _

_Backstabbing just got far too damned literal for my taste._


	35. Chapter 35

_Beacon – RWBY Dorm – Blake's Point of View_

_I had a bittersweet dream. It was mildly confusing, but the more I think about it..._

Sitting on the edge of my bed, on this delicious Saturday morning, I was offered a pleasant but rather tarty dream in the RWBY dorm: silence. With the other three girls asleep and the Rose family dog silently in a cute cuddle with Ruby it would not be often that I would be annoyed by the small devilish creature the instant just a single one of my feet touched the ground.

_The chaos at the beginning was really a confused pain. Too distracted, worried, and thinking too hard and fast to realize that the owner of these emotions are dying. _

Placing my hand against my temple, I tried to throw aside these thoughts, partially in fear of living out my subconscious thoughts which annoyed me this previous evening.

_But would it really be that bad? _

No, Saturday mornings aren't meant to be left in thought, mixed with perhaps the slightest bit of theology, socratic thinking, and just a slight drop of philosophy. Rare moments like this belong as they are offered: taken with coffee, cream, and one sugar and one delightfully massive blueberry muffin. Maybe a pancake or two?

Wait a minute... Where did Drexel go? The empty windowsill at my left reminded me that I tied my bowtie around that tiny head to prove to the others something I knew to be true. I once had the comedic benefit of watching him in the form of a cat fall or make similar blunders, or other times notice things that a person with a more typical visual capacity fail to even take subconscious note of. Naturally, he didn't notice that I was watching.

Now climbing through the open window, came a small black cat... Without any form of black lace tied around any of his appendages, let alone his head. My voice at a whisper, I raised all the menace I could muster despite the messy bed head and disheveled appearance: anyone who thinks that girls wake up pristine as if you had ran into them in the middle of the afternoon deserves to be slapped with a magazine. Repeatedly. As if they had made a Frozen reference in the middle of a cafe.

_Yeah. I was there._

"Drexel... Where th-"

"Meow."

A tiny cute little paw raised, pointed to the side of my pillow revealed something in plain sight that I simply had overlooked: the lace for my bow.

"Yeah... Thanks..."

Following this, the black cat jumped down from the sill silently and made his way atop my bed, beside me.

_I wish I were some kind of Lore-Master. Turning into a cat can't be that hard for such a faunus, especially when you almost seem to be halfway there._

Looking up at me, I could almost hear a voice, paradoxically without sound from the little creature.

_You look broken. I could be wrong, your shadow almost seems to be your semblance... _

Quietly, came my response before I could even stop myself. I don't want to be caught into a talk about feelings, but yet again, we aren't too different... Right? Cat Faunus don't differ too much... Right?

"You can see my semblance?"

_Naturally__. I see energy, and by this method, heat and aura even behave the same for the most part. Just by looking at your aura, I can guess your semblance by its consistency, color, shape, the way it clings to the person... This is where it starts to get deep and rather spiritual._

"Please. You're an engineer, technically even a scientist."

_I know what I see. Aura is temporal, flowing and ebbing according to a person's state of mind. They're one in the same, mental health and aura. A negative person will either be very weak, or very powerful in a... Different way. _

"Different?"

_Such a person's aura almost feels suppresing. As if it exerts almost an evil feeling pressure on anything good you can think of or do. A weight and burden no human, faunus, or grim should be subjected to._

"Wait, wait... Grim?"

_Sure they don't have a semblance... But their body heat is off the charts, they stand out as either extreme heat or cold. Very noticable, very obvious from kilometers away... For me. But enough avoiding Blake. I can see what troubles you, and you should not be observing such evils. You were in Ruby's cookies before bed, weren't you?_

"Don't tell her."

_If these get worse, visit me at home once Steven cools down. I can give you some some sleep meds, the fact that you see what I see in my dreams is an issue._

"Scrying? In my sleep?"

_Sure, why not? _

"I'm not like you."

_A Lore-Master? Why not?_

"I don't want to be anything like you, its as if you aren't in control at all."

_Trust me when I say nobody is._

"You know things you haven't told us, you lied in 'telling the truth'. Disgusting."

_I only found out now, and am still trying to understand these new things. And just because I'm a cat, don't assume I don't have emotions. By the way, Torchwick is dead. _

"Thats where you were last night, rather than cuddling with Weiss?"

_Where did that come from?_

"Uh..." We promised not to even hint to this guy about what happens during girl talk evenings... Shit. I can't talk to Drexel when he's in this form, its as if he knows the effects that a cat irrelevant of what the animal really is can have on people. "Thanks for shooting Yang?"

_Yeah, yeah. I should go before that dog wakes up._

"Can't say I like Ruby and Yang's pet either..."

_I wasn't talking about that dog, but sure. _

"Hey! You can't just bash one of my sisters and get away with it!"

_Of course not. But trust me when I say: I saw everything. What the cameras didn't see, my semblance filled in for. I do pity you. Perhaps she is your non-biological sister, but put it in the kitty's perspective: she tried to do you with her primary appeal at your ears. Me? I have the ears and the whole nine yards. Not trying to belittle your pains, but say Yang got me alone should I be stricken by an anti-semblance weapon. I wouldn't even be physically capable of resisting, something I can't even counter, sometimes not even sense. Without my semblance, I am also significantly weakened at the physical level: I wouldn't be limp, but weak._

The cat then began to leave through the window, but paused to turn his head back.

_We can deal with your problems another time, to hell with mine. But they're starting to wake, and I need to check on Steve to ensure that she didn't hurt herself badly. Say some evening, we go for tuna? You really seem to need some therapy, and should start as soon as possible, and probably not from me. Talk to your girls, things will ease up. Trust me, I see the future._

Simply nodding, I simply watched him leave. The instant he left sight, I could hear Ruby yawn, beginning to wake followed by Weiss talking in that annoying voice to the small dog who was 'just too cute'. What self dignified non-human could allow itself to be subjected to that treatment, let alone enjoy it?

_Yet again, maybe being a cat isn't all I think it to be._

* * *

><p><em>Drexel's Cave House – Cinder's Point of View<em>

"I love what our absent host did with the place, but not what he did with our only engineers and copy of what we knew about argentum."

Taking a sip of my coffee, I continued on in my typical voice which some would go as so far as call seductive. Why not play the part? Even pursing a little class isn't too much when sitting in the same armchair that the unaware homeowner uses to read, smoke, and even snooze in.

"Are you sure you can't get into Drexel's computer?"

Nodding firmly, the Lore-Master fire ferret faunus in front of me, who had put down her tea and saucer submitted her verbal reply.

"The encryption is beyond the highest Lore-Master standards by at least two hundred years. Not surprising, considering what he his and that the traitor can scry... We're looking at code using fractal encryption, also known as the mandelbrot set, at five dimensional planes: we don't have any computers that can even accept four dimensional planes of processing. I know what this is... But its scientifically impossible based on the resources he should have!"

There was no doubt as to if this old compatriot was trying her hardest with all of her true loyalty to assist me.

"Steven? Put it into words I can understand, you're the Lore-Master and the math geek."

"Drexel uses security that should not exist based on what even the Lore-Masters know now. In order to crack security, you need to understand it. Since cryptographers refuse to even accept that this is possible... We can't get into his database. Its impossible."

Putting my coffee and saucer down, I reached for a cookie on the plate and table which divided us two ladies. Shifting more comfortably on her couch, Steven scratched her neck.

"Dearest Steven, couldn't you even try to at least seduce him? He's a male, they all break eventually."

Shaking her head again, I received another rebuttal.

"Every time he thinks I might go into mating mode, he tries to lock me up and run away. Natrually the lockup doesn't last forever, but pursing him is useless. A black Lore-Master cat in the night? Good luck. Besides, you're the veteran at this womanly charm deal, you should do it.

"If Drexel really killed Roman and destroyed that supposedly secure location? I'm probably next, if he thinks I have the argentum, or am a threat. No, if Drexel really is as powerful as you say, capable of sapping, draining, and consuming auras?"

Finishing the last drops of my coffee, I put the small plate and cup of china back down.

"I can't fight that, not directly."

As we both got up, we started to walk together to the door.

"I should leave now, Drexel will be back soon."

But before Steven could trigger the door into opening, a particular teenager on the other side had opened it. Clad in a black cloak and dress shoes, Drexel tilted his head to his right, with disappointment. Then he spoke.

"Would you really leave with intentions on not even saying hello to me? Not even allowing myself a moment to make me a coffee and join in on the cookies?"

As he stepped forwards and hung his cloak on the single hanger at the door, we stepped back.

"I thought I meant something at least to you, Cinder." With sadness, he even then continued. "You two are really all I have left from my past, would you really be so cruel?"

As I walked up to my old boyfriend, the door gently slid itself closed behind him. In truth, the whole ordeal was secret and never had been called off. As I slipped beside him and took his arm, I noticed a split second glare of bitter disapproval from Steve. Did Drexel see it too?

"Only if the rumors of Weiss falling for you, and you replying in same are true. You're breaking my heart."

That brought a light chuckle from all of us, but more so Drexel. "I always seem to be the last to hear and know about these bitter things called rumor. Weiss has indeed taken the bait, but I can't say I enjoy being the bait."

As we took up our seats, there was a slight adjustment. Steve took Drexel's armchair, to my partial dissapointment. Whatever my plotting with Steve, the tall faunus has meant something to me. Choosing seats on the sofa instead, I somewhat snuggled against the guy's arm. Then, he spoke all the words I wanted to hear, that Steve and I had agreed on which would clear him of our little investigation.

"Where's the other smoker?"

With genuine incredulation, Steve announced her surprise.

"Torchwick? You honestly don't know what happened to Torchwick?"

Shaking his head, Drexel turn to me.

"Where is he? Honestly, I'm worried: I saw the residual pressure release consistent with a massive dust based explosion last night, did he mishandle some of the shells you had him store in warehouse seven?|

Looking into his eyes, I honestly replied: "I don't know how, but there is one thing we can prove. He's dead."

Then came the silent shock, a paralysis of emotion that the pair of us had anticipated from the boy.


	36. Chapter 36

_Drexel's Cave Home – Drexel's Mind - Drexel's Point of View_

I honestly missed her: Cinder was there since the beginning I can remember. Its hard to hate the shorter girl pressed against me, but difficult not to want to take her life.

I know what will happen if I fail to do so.

I know this because I saw it.

I know there can not be any victory against you as long as she lives.

I know what she means to me.

I know this life of crime cannot go on.

I know my alternatives.

I know that choosing what appears to be the empirical good encased within Beacon is best for the world.

I know that siding with the Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company is a sin of its own.

I know that I am a sinner myself.

I know that by the end of today I will kill my last childhood friends.

I know that I don't want to.

I know that makes me more so the monster I am killing them to avoid.

I know that I am a weapon designed for no more than this.

I know that I this is justified, enough at least for me to live on without suicidal wishes.

I know that this is right, assuming that you, Omega, are wrong. No story should ever end.

But

I will enjoy the remainder of this day with these two guests. The door has sealed for that reason.

I know that just moments ago, they were conspiring to destroy me.

But

I honestly have not even a dying ember of will left to offer Cinder. I love Weiss. It really isn't my choice, scrying took being able to choose such a thing from me. I hate it. I want things to go back. I liked being evil. I choose it, rather than picked up a powerful emotion which had enough strength to become perpetual. I as a weapon am being activated at the chemical level, which is influencing my brain and therefore my subconcious mind to take these actions. Microexplosives and Steve aren't the fail safe, Weiss Schnee is this paradox!

I want to go back to the time of calling this girl my "Big Sister" just to deter Roman's prying, the time when Steven was the comic relief and sassy fire ferret in my life, when Roman and I would try to sneak off for an extended smoke... I enjoyed being a murderer.

But

I know that at the end of this night, I will hate the two females seated around me.

I know that although I do not feel this emotion now...

I know that I will take the bloodthirsty slaughter which they offer Vale to the architects of such demise.

I know that soon I will be purified into what I was built to be: the sole Honor Guard of the Lorian High Council, currently and collectively known as team RWBY.

There are no "buts" at all: every path in every universe and time leads to this moment. Either you have begun to win, or lose. The plunge begins now.

Enough of taking part in this facade, I am no servant of these people who see them selves as good. What was this crap, of scrying feelings for some girl with an elitist background? Why do I baby these weak teenagers at this school? The plunge will be into hell: I'm taking this world down with me.

* * *

><p><em>Emerald Forest – Drexel's Home - Drexel's Point of View<em>

Some hours have now passed. Cinder has finally left, claiming a need to use the washroom.

"Hey Steve? Please sit next to me. There's something I want to tell you."

Moderatly surprised, the slightly stung faunus picked her way over next to me, sitting about a foot away. Before should could resist, I quickly got up, picked her up in a bridal carry, and brought her to the hidden storeroom where I keep virtually my entire supply of everything. With just a nod, I told her everything I wanted her to think and know.

"Really Drexel? All this time?"

She looked beautiful when stunned and apparently moderatly lovesick. Either that, or she's constipated. No matter, I slowly began to lean forwards, and close my eyes as she did the same. Quickly opening my own back up, I moved behind her without her notice, and did a quick spinal tap which firing a deadly bolt of electricity up her spine and into her brain.

She collapsed falling backwards, and I caught her, gently making to lay her on the floor. Down on one knee, I whispered in her ear the following:

"I always knew that you were waiting only for a convenient moment to betray me. My life to you is the property of the highest bidder. I don't need friends like that. Later I will discard you as you planned to toss me aside. This is what you get for trying to crack into my computer. I will never forgive you."

Standing up, I made my way back to the living room. Before I sat down, I dimmed the lights and lit a few candles. I want this next kill to me memorable, at least for her. All the same, they made life easier, and deserve more than a grusome death. I don't belive in unhappy death for those once close to me. Besides, this must have some irony for me to laugh at: seduce a living weapon of mass destruction? Ha! I'm not some malleable plaything (of anyone but my builder(s)), I am the fire and forget weapon of the most powerful kingdom of Remnant!

Well one of their said weapons, but hey: I have enough firepower to knock out kingdoms, and unlike you, I can reload. Not to mention that I'm the only sentient fire and forget weapon made to die. Fear me at least a little.


	37. Chapter 37

_Drexel's Home - Cinder's Point of View_

The instant I heard Steven leave, I left the washroom and followed them from as far as the layout of the little cave could permit. After watching Drexel kill the girl with such ease, I could not help but feel a chill go down my spine.

_That easy? With just one hand, with such silence? What is this, he never spoke of-_

My thoughts rudely cut short, something rectangular in feel and hard rammed into my back, sending my sprawling onto my face. Quickly recovering and rolling onto my back, I drew one of my swords from my hidden double sheath as I rose back up. There before me stood Drexel, with his foot still raised in the air from the kick, which be brought up at a 180 degree angle. Slowing bringing the leg back down to the floor, I could see a tear and a slight hicup, both of those things genuine.

"Forgive me my Lady in your final sleep, for these actions are the will of someone, something else..."

Somewhat pained, he raised his fisted hands, electricity jumping between his knucles.

"... I do not want you to meet such an end..."

Slamming both of his fists together, a brutal thunderclap as the result of this display of power formed a barrier of sound which sent me flying off my feat and into the wall. The impact and it's pain forced a gasp of agony, as I struck the hard stone.

"... But I am not who I have suggested I am. Recently, I have learned..."

Getting back onto my feet, I watched as the same person before me formed a double bladed shortsword made of lightning for each of hands. As Drexel began to close the distance between us, I drew my other sword from my double scabbord and stood ready for what I knew is to come.

"... I was grown in a labrotory, and we were all implanted with certain memories..."

The lightning swords dissapated into Drexel's arms, at which point Drexel began to crackle from lighting: the bolts jumping froto and from all places of the stone and wood dwelling place. Looking down, the worn faunus paused his advance.

"... Within my genetic structure, there is a command code with a certain instruction..."

At this point, my assailant threw a fist at my skull, which I ducked underneith, using this moment to slip behind him in the attempt of getting in a few stabs. Instead, I reflexively found myseld narrowly evading a brutally powerful back roundhouse kick from the teenage boy. As we fought, he continued.

"... To kill, whenever a particular event is triggered. This event prevents..."

A flurry of fists then took hail, as I dodged every single one of them. However, whenever each set of knuckles came within centimeters of my skin, a somewhat weak burst of electricity would jump from the unarmed opponent and into my ribcage. Soon enough, a stronger voltage of these annoying bolts stunned me for the moment's time allowing for Drexel to strike me with a punch that had plenty of electricity, momentum, and ferocity behind it. Falling onto my back, gasping for breath, winded, I looked up at the winner of this dual. As I fell, I dropped my swords and cluched my abdomen.

"... Me from deviating from my biologically programmed orders. I am no more than a sentient computer, who has been tasked with the process of killing. I only wish I were human. We could have remained together."

Suddenly, it seemed as if he was caught in a struggle of two different wills, two different minds: it seemed Drexel had trying to resist striking me again, but was psychologically punished by an unseen taskmaster. In response, the Lore-Master raised a hand, and from it jumped another bolt of electricity.

The pain is blinding. Its everywhere. There is nothing left to hold onto. Not even Drexel. In response to this, I simply sprawled out weakly. Eyes still closed, I could feel a weight upon my stomach. Opening my eyes to trying to understand and comprehend the meaning of this, I could see the same torn Drexel: sitting on top of me, with his legs tucked beside my waist, preventing me from wiggling away.

No! Neither of us want this, maybe if I weaken him, I can fix him!

Grabbing a sword, right beside one of my hands, I rammed it through his chest. Twisting it somewhat, I could hear the boy who just a month ago kissed me, gasp in pain. Grabbing my other sword which sat conviently nearby, I started trying to use it to chop at him.

_Hes taken much worse. This probably wont even phase him._

Oh look: sometimes I hate being right. Within seconds, the portion of the sword burried in his gut melted away, leaving a nearly perfectly cut sword, sitting uselessly on my chest. Each time I knicked or sliced into Drexel's skin with the other blade, it too melted a little with each stroke of contact.

"Dammit Drexel... We were-"

_Drexel's Home - Drexel's Point of View_

My wounds healing near instantly, knitting themselves back together with the countless nanites which kept their unceasing sentry within my body to stitch together any injury,

"Grow old together." One of the numerous tears I have so far shed, another of such drops fell from my face and onto the girl I now sat on. "I know."

Getting off Cinder, I pulled a needle from my cloak and rammed it into my waist, injecting it's contents into me: a suppressent I grabbed while in the storeroom, killing Steven in order that I might have at least fifteen minutes control over myself. How did I forget about it, only to remember it now.

"Woah... So thats... What you look like?"

Gently putting a hand on Cinder's neck, I repaired her wounds which I had so angrily induced.

"You're beautiful."

"Wait... Drexel you can see? The injection?"

As she sat up, I took a look at the needle's label.

"It seems I have been suffering from a minor aura block, and this had reversed it. Logically, with my semblance, shouldn't I see all forms of energy? Including visable light?"

Girlishly smiling, I recieved a one worded reply from Cinder: "Well... Thanks".

Gently pulling her closer, I brought her on top of me and wrapped her in a very close hug.

"This won't last even half of a half hour. At which point, I will lose control again, and kill you. Please humor your abusive boyfriend, and spend those last moments with a gentler memory, like those times we used to have."

In response, she simply curled up in my lap and began to slightly snooze cutely.

"You never wanted anything this complex and destructive... Didn't you? I know you, you're the quiet nerdy engineer who has a strange love of botany and fire."

A grin surfaced on her face as she continued to speak.

"Why do we even have to even be evil? Would a benevolent peace be too much to ask for? A different upbringing? Argentum destroyed us... And I know that you didn't want to make that either. You were right, as you predicted in those texts you sent me once it was stabilized. Argentum will become a weapon first, although it is best used as a fuel and medicine. This isn't you... Building weapons and fighting a war? Its like you died, back when you tripped over that girl Ruby."

Soon the minutes slipped by, and she spoke again.

"Please kill me quickly, and leave me not with dead forgotten of those wars and conquests of before the Grim you used to tell me about, when I couldn't sleep."

Shaking my head, offered the most poetic reply I could muster my girl.

"You know that after tomorrow, I will change into something I never wanted to be, and be under the girl of a company which has only caused my faunus kind pain. But I expect that you will only sleep until I die too. Then we both might meet oblivion together. I may forget you, but will beyond doubt remember before the bitter end."

I buried her under the willow tree across from my front door next to Steven. I could not bring myself to say a single word forthwith once I had finished the graves. What is this, what drives me to such violenence!? Why did I have to take these actions now? Can't I control myself, deploying the precision I had used to do so in the past?

Looking through the forest, killing a few stray Ursa along the way, I found two medium stones which were thick enough for my intent. Carrying these back with me, I sat under the willow tree beside the buried dead and got to work, using lightning as my chisel to begin carving the tombstones.

It took very little time until I had made a pair of flat surfaced, well formed stone slabs with the appropriate names engraved. But it wasn't enough. Sitting for a few days, resting only long enough to take a quick drink of water or relieve myself at the washroom in my home, I worked on using heat to treat and harden the gravestones after I had applied my intricate patterns and webs of various images and symbols onto the stones.

It was nightfall when I had completed my work. Cracking my back, I laid the stones, burrying their bottoms on each appropriate grave.

_Roman should be here too. Isn't that why I dug three holes for three stones? _

As I walked back into my cave house, to finally get some sleep, I should have noticed that the third stone was plain, for all but one phrase.

_"Captain Drexel Torchwick - MIA"_

I didn't write it. Did you?


	38. Chapter 38

_**Writer's Annotation: For those who don't know, the acronym (used at the end of the previous chapter) MIA means "Missing in Action". It is a military term for soldier who were not accounted for after a skirmish or battle, usually due to being either captured, blown up, or simply never found. Not applied to deserters.**_

_**Further back, I had accidentally double posted a chapter. This has been corrected. My apologies to this inconsistency in posting.**_

* * *

><p><em>Beacon - Dueling Hall – Ren's Point of View<em>

I like this new professor. He has rather grown on me, as the guy had cancelled all his classes for the previous week, where only one or two was simply relocated here so that the teams of Beacon could simply beat each other up. Sure he might be hurt, and rumors had quickly surfaced throughout the school that he has taken sick leave due to a mental breakdown. Not surprising, rather the surprise is that more teachers don't take such a leave for this reason: we students can be a rowdy bunch.

But to hell with that professor, somehow Weiss has found the ability to summon what appears to be a maximum of four glyphs at once against Ruby and Yang who had decided to team up against the Heiress in this three way battle... And the best part, is that the two sisters are running at half aura, while Weiss has hardly taken anything more than a few scratches.

The duel playing out before me is, if I may say so myself, a thing of beauty: red rose petals floating around, sometimes bursting into flames or being crystalized through frost which would grow into ice. Sometimes Yang's fire which emitted by these rather strange shotgun shots would linger harmlessly for a short period of time and seem to duel with those same frost crystals which would linger on the ground wherever Weiss formed one of her many glyphs. With the blonde now simply watching on the sidelines, Ruby suddenly fired off a brilliant crimson death ray from what appeared to be a slightly modified variation of the rifle mode of her scythe, which scorched all the space which Weiss had quickly... Teleported away from? This surprised Ruby, even Weiss just the same as she found herself was standing behind the other.

Then came a massive disappointment to what could have been a wonderful stand off. Professor Goodwitch then cried out: "Thats the game!"

Silently, the girls walked their way back to their corresponding seats. Standing in the middle of the scorched up, frost bitten, petal covered center of this miniature stadium, the rather strict lady took center stage.

"Students, it has come to your attention that a particular Professor has been absent for quite some time. The rumors behind this are accurate to some extent: it seems that he has disappeared, probably due to-"

Before she could finish, the main entrance doors slammed open and forthwith walked Drexel, not dressed in his favorite cloak, but in black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and black sink vest. A pair of short swords, ornate in design hung in a double sheath at his right and a rapier hung at his left, which were black in sheath and silver with a black pommel in hilt. The white dress shirt was rolled up to the bend in his elbow at both arms, and the entire getup had very well showcased defined his muscles which were much, much smaller the last time we had collectively seen him.

"Correction: Professor Torchwick is very well now known in his location, and appears to never have been better."

Thats a lie. We may know where he is, but he has never been so pale: it seemed as if he might collapse at any time. What was even more interesting about the entire matter, was that his hair was no longer long to his shoulders, but cropped back considerably in a matter that looked somewhat shaggy, almost as if the border the the set of black car ears which protruded from his head.

Naturally the sight of these ears caused some stir in the audience: we had all thought him to be human... Although team RWBY seemed surprisingly unphased. The once missing professor then spoke, loud enough for all to hear although directed at Miss Goodwitch.

"There has been a series of events which demand your attention up in the Headmaster's tower. I have been sent by the good Headmaster of the topic, to inform you of this and that I am to complete the lesson set which you have devised for this class in your place."

Naturally surprised, the woman paused before answering.

"We're just dueling... Shouldn't you be there too?"

"It seems that General Ironwood disagrees with the sentiment, with the Headmaster siding with the soldier's suggestion. It seems that I am better seen as an instructor, and the information I could provide is either irrelevant, or already in their possession. We are disclosing too much before the students, and I must kindly remind you that you are needed by the two gentlemen."

Without a moments question or hesitation, she simply scurried along out the door, racing off to the meeting. Walking along to where the previous professor stood, our regular teacher took the stand.

"How much more time remains? An hour an a half? Lets make this a little more interesting. Would anyone like to duel me? If so, first we will do single matches, followed by sets of two against me alone. Any takers?"

Before Drexel had even finished, Pyrrha was already standing.

"Professor, I would be honored to accepted this challenge."


	39. Chapter 39

_Beacon – Dueling Hall – Drexel's Point of View_

Naturally, I was reqested to abandon either my rapier or daggers. I chose to leave the fencing weapon, simply for the reason that the shorter blades are my personal favorite.

The redhead before me had he shield in one hand, weapon in other. Drawing both long knives, I simply stood upright, and began the duel with one word.

"Go."

The instant the near whisper slipped from my lips, my opponent dropped to one knee and suddenly began firing dust rifle rounds at me. Forming the entrance of a teleportation glyph in front of me, I casted it's exit behind my attacker, so that she would literally end up shooting herself. Unfortunately, Pyrrha had put her shield on her back. Paired with the fact that she sat at a crouch with the quality of her shield, the rounds simply deflected from the round device and away, harmlessly. It took very little time for her to realize my ruse.

The rifle now a sword, and the shield back in her left hand, she charged. Rather than choosing to instantly engage this quickly in hand-to-hand combat, I let go of my swords, letting them float easily in the air, close at hand. I began to fire bolts of weak lightning, in order to scare her off. This ploy worked, forcing her to stop, crouched down on one knee allowing her shield to deflect also my lightning. Grabbing one of my swords in my life hand, I used my right to quickly approach and punch her shield, head center. Upon contact with the metal object, I sent a few rapid electrical pulses through the metal wall, allowing me to 'feel out' and identify the metal it was made from.

Quickly stepping back, I snatched my right hand blade from its floating status and played the defensive, evading shield bashes, sword cuts, and stabs from Pyrrha. But something felt off, she did have a energy manipulating semblance... Although she wasn't using it. Wait a moment... Kicking her aside to allow me a moment to think, I focused on her semblance, to realize that it is polarity. Of course she wasn't using it: my blades are made from the dark material which I form effortlessly, and I am not wearing any metal armor. Rather, my shirt and pants have multiple layers of a Kevlar variant which does wonders in blunting bullets and absorbing dust ammunition, while playing well at not being cut through. Sadly, the wonderous material is rather useless in absorbing the damage from blunt weapons, and raw kinetic energy.

Realizing this to my advantage, I began to play a little dirtier, this time going on the offensive and with a single sword, allowing me to fire electrical pulses through the alloy metal which the opposition's tools of war were made from. Soon, she simply casted her weapons away, resorting to knuckles and her heels: bad news for my type of armor. Instead, I started to shamelessly sap her aura until I knew that it had just hit the red.

Reaching out a hand to allow her to help this worthy opponent back on her feet, I helped her back up, as the shock of the sudden energy drain had forced her onto her knees. As soon as our hands touched, I began to feed the stolen energy back to her.

"You fought well, Pyrrha. Too well. Because of how I won, I would prefer to call this a draw."

Nodding and returning to her seat, I could see just by looking at her that although her aura was just as strong as if it had started, it seemed somewhat... Depressed. It looks like technically losing had a negative effect on her. Raising my voice so the remainder of my students could hear me, I address the once again surprised masses.

"This battle, was technically rigged. This is due to the nature of my semblance: a general ability to manipulate energy, with lightning and its natural counterpart, thunder, to great effect. Due to the vast quantity of fields this semblance covers, I may use dirty tricks such as this one: the ability to drain a person's aura and using this energy to strengthen my own. A vampriric effect in nature. This is one of the things you will be required to face, as your potential enemies will either have abilities similar or identical to mine, or none of you will be able to use your semblances what-so-ever."

Walking up to the seated team RWBY, I continued my mini-lecture.

"Things are different now. The current leadership of the White Fang was the man known as Roman Torchwick. Both Roman and his retainer are dead. But the worst is yet to come."

Then walking in front of the seated team JNPR, I pushed further on.

"Your only defense against a semblance like mine, is to kill quickly and from a distance. Your only defense against a new technology which renders all dust weapons and semblances inert within a certain distance, are the kinetic combustion weapons which are currently being produced for your personal usage. The eight of you now form something I call a "Section", which I will mold into a special battle group for participation in the Valesian Armed Forces."

Now picking my way to the center of the room once again, I began to finish my thoughts.

"The following things which I will tell you? Lets just say that you never heard them, particularly not from me. This never happened. The following is the result of hard evidence which I have collected, which I cannot bring to light due to it's sensitve nature."

Raising my hands, causing my swords and sheathes to dissipate into thin air, I spoke what I knew I should not have spoken.

"The following month will be a dark time for Vale, despite this Victory over the White Fang. The result of this end, will simply be that the White Fang will ebb away harmlessly, and destroy itself due to an incapability of selecting a new head of this syndicate. But General Ironwood will beg to differ, using planted evidence as a proof."

Sighing, I still pressed on.

"This will grant him the ability to directly conscript Hunters and Huntresses, irrelevant if they are or aren't in mid training for use as front line infantry units to play the role in a war against Vacuole which he will win... Unless he is deposed. And he will die, assassinated by a fifth kingdom which insists on being the peacekeepers of this world, despite it's actions. A diplomatic attempt will be made. The result will be overwhelming next generation military support in favor of Vale, but due to actions within the field, it will all go awry, resulting in the mutual destruction of Remnant's kingdoms. This will be due to a race to attain the weaponry of the failed White Fang, although it has been totally destroyed. Any claim to its destruction will be met with mistrust. But this is not the punch line."

With eight sets of eyes locked upon me, I told the end of what could be taken as a joke.

"Ironwood, the commander of this all, will be 'dead' to the eyes of Remnant. His body will be broken, and it will decompose. But he has a method to keep his now insane and warlike mind intact. There is a particular weapon, a robot, which carried a synthetic aura. This container of the artificial aura will be wiped clean of it's sentience, and be replaced with the mind and aura of General Ironwood. Ruby in particular, knows that my claim to such technology is not only feasible... But already very much alive."

Naturally Ruby was the one most transfixed in shock. She had grown close to the thing which I had assisted in constructing. But my hand in all of this was required. I refuse to say why... But I invite you to speculate. The next and following things you will hear and see, will be the resources I will make available to you, for your viewing pleasure.

But do not worry. For I have scripted an ending contrary to yours within this chronicle, and all you can do is watch.


	40. Chapter 40

_**A Chapter of Silence**_

_For the 2 Canadian soldiers killed and 1 wounded in the recent events within Canada by the hands of the Terrorist Organization known as ISIS. May these murderers be brought to justice through death, for radicals like these do not stop killing unless they are destroyed themselves._

_May Canadian soil be from now on forth not a homefront for dead uniformed men, but the tomb for the Violent followers of Radical Islam which threaten this country's noble servicemen._

_This slaughter of unarmed men in green may not be technically seen as war by elements of Canada, but it is a battlefield all the same._

_**In Memory and Prayers for and of:**_

Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, KIA - Gunned down in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, Ontario

Unreleased Rank, Unreleased Name, KIA - Run over by a vehicle, died of wounds

**_In Prayers for:_**

Unreleased Rank, Unreleased Name, WIA - Run over by a vehicle, hospitalized, critical condition


	41. Chapter 41

_**Event Document G65T3h – Year 594:009:441 Timesteam C of the Lorian Calender and Inter-Timesteam Reconds**_

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Gardens – Drexel's Point of View<em>

A kind morning. A gentle sun, and a very strong coffee which should one should only drink in small cups, rather than my massive coffee mug. Why did I even bother to ever field argentum when I could have grown super caffeinated coffee and make millions without the attention of Vale's military and government. Funding White Fang operations: one cup at a time. So much for blissful thought on an equally beautiful start to a Monday: here comes Weiss. In all honesty, I will be ecstatic when I may relinquish this charade like a long anticipated bass drop, but until then...

Warmly, I greeted her as she sat beside me on the bench near the willow tree. "Hello Weiss."

Holding a mug the same size as her rather tiny and slender hands, the Heiress acknowledged my reply with one hand against the side of her temple. "Hey, Drexel."

"You don't sound too good. Nasty sleep?"

"Yeah, I can thank you for that one. Blake and Ruby spent the whole night trying to keep Yang and I awake to hear their various plots, schemes, and conspiracy theories based on that announcement that... Didn't quite happen. The night before, we were up till dawn playing different board games."

"What, around 48 hours no sleep and you get headaches?"

"migraines, Drexel. migraines, I tell you!"

"Yes, my Lady."

"Don't mock me!"

"Poke."

"Stop touching me!"

"But I didn't touch you, I just said poke."

"Then who..."

Running away from behind the bench, was a girl glad mostly in pink. On the ground could be seen a white strip of paper with the word 'Boop' written in pink upon it.

"DAMMIT, NORA!"

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Hallways – Yang's Point of View<em>

"Honestly Ruby, I saw it in an Anime! This guy was dividing people into two groups, masochists and sadists, AND IT WORKED. It made so much sense!"

As I walked with my little sister, I continued to press my point.

"Yang, what is a masochist?"

"Someone who gets pleasure from getting beat up and stuff... I think. Anyways, that's what I mean, like Bl- Well, you get the picture."

"So that means a Sadist..." At that very instant, understanding of the whole matter dawned on the young one's face through a mix of blushing, and some minor giggling.

"Yang, you're dirty!"

"I thought you already knew that. Hey, lets play that game."

"What? You don't mean..."

"Nah, I mean the S and M game. Just by looking at a person, try and figure out if a person's a sadist, or masochist."

"Sure. When do we start?"

* * *

><p><em>Beacon Hallways – Ruby's Point of View<em>

Pointing at Jaune discretely once he passed by and whispering to Yang the word 'Sadist', we wandered the early morning playing Yang's game. That she found on an anime. I thought Uncle Qrow told her to stop watching "That particular type of particular cartoons". I still don't get what he meant, but I suppose the two of them do.

Soon after, a particular female rabbit faunus named Velvet, chatting with another unknown female dog faunus walked by. My sister's voice dropped to a mid growl once they were an earshot or two away, as she offered her prediction.

"Velvets a masochist, the dog's a sadist, and I would wanna watch."

"They're probably both masochists, and I know they don't sell watches."

I don't know why she thrust her face into the palm of her hand, but I do know that the next event would leave me rethinking my first impressions on everyone: even Weiss. Alone, walking down the hall in the opposite direction, came a particular Drexel Torchwick. Instead of walking past us, he stopped in front of us, and first pointed to me.

"Sadist."

Then he pointed at Yang.

"Sadist."

Then himself.

"Masochist."

The same arm then dropped back to his side, to hang loosely.

"No, Yang."

He then directed the next phrase to me.

"Its okay if you don't understand. You will eventually, or at least within the week if you keep playing S and M with your sister."

The same Professor's eyes then locked into Yang's set of pupils.

"I refuse to make you any aphrodisiacs, or any form of long range chemical delivery weapon system. Sleep medication is also a no. We both know why. Also, the dog Faunus isn't a girl. Touch my ears, and I'll throw you to the grim."

As he walked away, he called out this last bit:

"Don't ask, or its detention."

After a moments surprise to the very strange event, the pair of us recovered, with Yang being first to viably react. Crossing her arms and leaning against a pillar, she pouted, saying:

"Dammit Drexel! You're no fun! I'll get you one of these days, and your little dart guns too!"

Images flashing through my mind which I truly desire to unsee, I raised a hand, trying to stop the older blonde.

"Just stick to Blake, please. Leave Weiss to sort him out, seeing as that hes a war robot and under her father's employment, he technically is her property."

Instantly, the pair of mischievous eyes fixed on me lit up.

"Please don't ask to borrow a professor from the Heiress."

* * *

><p><em>Beacon – Drexel's Office – Drexel's Point of View<em>

Sitting alone in my office chair, I began to look through the emails from my faculty account. I really don't know why I bother anymore, its mostly professors taking bets and sharing gossip... But it kills time. Entranced by a stunning chainmail, detailing on how some knife wielding maniac intended to kill me and my loved ones, I could not help but laugh aloud. I personally killed my loved ones, and am the masked murderer people once learned to fear! Sadly, before I could read the end, I was distracted by someone trying to enter through my locked door. Raising a hand to use my energy semblance to apply the appropriate pressure on the door's bolt, I unlocked the mid quality locking mechanism.

Forwards came Blake, with both hands behind her back. Somewhat seductively, she began to speak.

"Hey Drexel..."

Quickly checking the taskbar based calendar, I confirmed my worst fear: one of those faunus mating days. Desperately unlocking, then opening my desk drawer, I found another horror: the stun pistol which I keep hidden here had disappeared! No... It was stolen, by the faunus before me, who was hiding the weapon behind her back. Slowly raising my hands to shoulder height in surrender, I could not help but admire how... NO!

Quickly checking my cloak for my IV bag which I usually keep hooked up to myself in order to combat the effects of the monthly 'urges' which my builders thought to be funny to include, I faced another disappointment: the bag was gone too... But how?

Smiling sweetly, Blake closed the door and locked it behind her. Attempting to stall for time and spur of the moment ideas, I answered her.

"Hey Blake... You're a good biology student... Do humans close to faunus people pick up on the faunus's... biorhythms?"

Frowning cutely, she put aside her bow into her pocket, allowing her ears to be more than visible. Of course now she wouldn't care, the door is locked and the window is tinted with the blinds drawn.

"Don't tell me Yang got to you first... But yes, if a human does get really... Really... Close..."

As she spoke, she did indeed begin to creep closer. And closer. Damn these faunus hormones! Damn these chemically driven thoughts which now plague my mind! I'm here to betray these fools, not be become their personal entertainment! Using my semblance to suppress the neurons within my brain attributed to these thoughts with all my might, I leveled a finger at her to attempt stunning her with a moderately powerful bolt of lightning. Much to my dismay, she slipped out of harm's way.

"Oh please, save it for just a few more seconds."

In retaliation, Blake used the stun pistol to shoot my knee caps when I then had tried to bolt for the door. Still crawling forwards, she walked over and pressed a shoe against my back, pinning me to the floor. Damn my flawless weapon engineering skills!

"Professor, since you clearly wont play nice, I'm afraid I'll have to shoot your arms as well."

Flat against my face, I could not help but start to laugh.

"Dammit Blake, I'm a Lore-Master!"

Focusing my thoughts, without using any limbs or even rolling over, I used a wave of sound energy to knock my assailant off my feet.

"I don't need limbs!"

Simply getting back up, I continued my indignant speech.

"My clothes are armored by special variant of a fabric armor called Kevlar, which does very well against stun rounds! Sure I may be a little numb, but I won't let a few raging hormones push me onto... Your... Very well formed... And properly built... NO! I refuse!"

Before I could think myself into a trouble I could not handle with my currently flawed logic, I kicked down the door and made a beeline for the school's exit, trying very hard to avoid the stun rounds that the pursing school girl fired at me to staunch my escape.

This occupational hazard of being a cat faunus among same aged students was not in the job description! All the same, I did somewhat see this coming... You don't need the internet, when you can scry though altered potential timelines.

Is it wrong to regret running? Our faunus nature would excuse the interaction, and isn't not like my girlfriend is alive anymore anyways.

* * *

><p>Drexel's Annotation: Blake wrote those last line.<p>

Blake's Hidden Annotation: Drexel is a liar. He didn't run, and he was the one who locked the door. The Lore-Master never kept any stun pistols, had has efficient technique.

Drexel's Hidden and Encrypted Annotation: No I didn't, and there no way that you could ever know such a thing in all mentioned cases.

Blake's Hidden, Smarter, and Encrypted Annotation: Yes he did, and yes I do: I was there. Admit it, or I'm telling Weiss.

Drexel's Hidden, Smarter, Educated and Encrypted Annotation: Do such deceitful violence to my reputation, and I'll crack and hack my way onto Yang's scroll so that I may release her images of you to the general Beacon student public. I know that she not only has them, but that you weren't wearing your bow within these image captures as well.

Blake's Hidden, Smarter, Educated, Superior and Encrypted Annotation: You're a prick.

Drexel's Hidden, Smarter, Educated, Superior, Wiser and Encrypted Annotation: You're a bigger 'prick'.

Blake's Hidden, Smarter, Educated, Superior, Wiser, Classy and Encrypted Annotation: Nuh uh.

-This document continues on in this manner for quite some time. The remainder has been removed for the recorder's convenience and system space conservation. This would not be a required measure if the high council stopped downloading episodes Jeopardy in High Definition-


	42. Chapter 42

_Drexel's Home – Drexel's Point of View_

Whisky. A delicious alcoholic drink, lost between the folds of time. Why did I make argentum, and bring it into the world rather being the person to 'invent' whisky? Sitting in my beautiful armchair, with a glass and bottle of whisky, I contemplated something of this world which I regret I could never visit, since ruins don't count as a nation.

A nation called Canada. It geographically sat above and beside a series of States, which simply and unpoetically called them the United States of the Continent America. Or was it the United States of America? Somethings are never clear, particularly to their inhabitants. Did you know what the ancient country called Canada belived itself to be derived from the indigenous word "Kanata"? Such a hilarious fallacy: since the name really originated from the language of a far distant now ruined country. This third party was called Portugal, the first exploring superpower, who were the second group to visit, and called the place "Ca Nada", pronounced as "Cah-Nah-Tha". That little jingo meant literally: "Theres nothing there."

Thats bullshit, there was and still is lots of stuff there. Just not what the Portuguese explorers wanted: free and easy expensive stuff, just for the taking.

Why does this matter? From these nations come some of my favorite things, aged though time acceleration capsule a which I use not for the benefit of science, or studying diseases, but for aging Canadian recipe whisky, Portuguese recipe red wine, and American recipe pulled pork (because slow cooking is the only way to go).

Its also nice for cooking turkey when your visiting extended family of the White Fang swing by with Cinder and Roman for thanksgiving, but... They're not waking up anytime soon.

Looking around, I could not help but note the dozens of piled bodies, all wearing generic White Fang uniforms. Some where sprawled over the sofa. Others posing in their deaths, with my personal assistance, in front of the fire place. Others, I sat upwards around me, with a glass of whisky in front of them: also dead.

"And then I said, hey look guys... Dammit, don't tell me you all dozed off again. Most gracious of good and evil grief, Cinder can hold her liqeur better, and since she is a girl, not only does she have a biochemical detriment..."

Getting up, and pushing a fresh corpse off the coffee table so I could put down my glass, I caught up with the one man who thought he could escape.

"Hey, crawler, speak up? I thought you said something."

"Drexel... You _sadist_."

Before I snapped his neck, I corrected him.

"_Masochist_."

Leaving this particular corpse, number... Lets say fourty-two to fall were he had crawled to, I stood back upright and posed a general question.

"Now who's going to clean this mildly wonderful mess up?"

Silence. But wait... I have an idea.

* * *

><p><em>Still my point of view. Deal with it. Seriously, do you play poker?<em>

Best. Idea. EVER.

Using my semblance, I moved the now stacked dead into the forest, sealed my front door once again, and went into my bedroom. I removed a particular picture frame from the wall, and stood in front of the seamless looking section of wall. Speaking to the uniformly plain section of solid looking wall, I cleared my voice.

"Microphone enable!"

An emotionless and sexless voice answered me: "Affirmative, microphone enabled."

"Sigma Theta, unit designation 4-0-4. Door, open. Coordinates 0-1-0-0-1-0-0"

Once again, the built in system Artificial Intelligence, based in a very well protected mainframe computer within the floor of my home spoke.

"Door, opening."

True to the machine's word, a corridor which was previously protected by a force field had now become unprotected. However, the hologram projector which always hides the corridor in question never deactivates. No matter, I know where the entrance is. Walking forwards, right into the wall, my hopes get dashed the instant I collide with the solid, unyielding wall...

What? I totally had this down!

Getting back up, I shuffled a few steps to the left, _beside _where the picture frame once stood, and experimentally pressed my hand against this different portion of wall... To meet no resistance what-so-ever. THATS why I put this mid quality picture and frame up beside the small opening... Yeah. I'm a Lore-Master, I know what I'm doing.

Usually.

Passing though the virtual veil, I found myself in a small room, unadorned with the exception of a steel sliding bunker door in front of me. The following system, is another entrance, but this one being of three doors. One password. One door. There is however, another slight, minor detail...

Irrelevant. At least, the details in question are irrelevant to you.

* * *

><p><em>Five Minutes Later – Drexel's Point of View<em>

I still think the removal of those 'corpses' was a great idea. The quotation marks, are due to the fact that a significant quantity of the disposed, were faking their deaths. I really hadn't notice, since I had struck them at least several times with lightning, perhaps they were more resilient than I had initially anticipated. No matter. Their screams confirm their deaths.

Sitting back in my arm chair, I could only truly think one thing: this is really, really good whisky.

Why they're screaming, you might ask? Let me remind you, Omega, that I live deep within the vast Emerald forest. This particular forest, like the remainder of this world, is infested with various strengths and sizes of grim. Regularly, I keep an active grim repellant field within a kilometer's radius of my house, so that I may use my teleporting platform without the harassment of those dark creatures, but I had ventured off to my control room, and had disabled the field.

The essence of evil which the White Fang henchmen, who were in search of Cinder (probably instructed to come if she did not return in a certain time frame) had emitted through their negativity had drawn these grim. Should you not know this already, grim do love evil, and are drawn to it. Naturally, I keep a rather potent field around my dwelling, both to use the Grim as a defence, and to allow me to have at least a rather large backyard.

At least, it's big enough.

Now that the screaming has ended, I returned to the control room to re-enable the invisible shield which protects my near indestructible front door from getting scratched. I also dislike needing to repaint the solid composite metal door, scratches are just tacky.

Returning from the control room and taking care to close all the bunker grade sliding doors behind me, I found another unannounced guest in my living room. A man, clad in a black cloak nearly identical to mine sat on the couch. Sitting in my armchair, I addressed him.

"You're late."

"You're in trouble, Drexel."

Offering him a second glass; something I had the foresight to place on the table some hours earlier, I poured him some whisky.

"What are you here to do, Commander? Threaten to detonate the microexplosives planted throughout my brain? I disabled those nearly as quickly as I had discovered them. I had enough of Loria and Lore-Master policy, you fools had left me to see myself as a traitor to my homeland for long enough. I refuse to serve something which would manipulate me as such, and then warp my mind to kill those that I love."

"So you do know who I am. interesting. Then you know why the Commander of the Lorian forces is currently the acting leader and representative of the current High Council?"

Nodding, I answered with spite.

"I did my research. The High Council has traditionally been a series of four seats, and consists of only one person who makes the final decisions of Loria. In short? A government capable of being a unit of War, Peace, Building, and being able to drop a kickass party. All of Loria's favorite things. Which of the four, is chosen by regular vote by the people of Loria, according to the individual's skills. One seat belongs purely to our best General for when we wage war, the second to our best mind in Economics. This second option is the most regularly held leader due to his or her ability to maintain Loria in times of peace. The third to the arts and cultures and religion for times of vast festival and celebration. The fourth to our best Engineer for when the people want to build major works of art or infrastructure, since whenever we do build, it never is a miniscule project."

Nodding in confirmation, the cloaked, burly figure before me with his buzz cut and air of authority pressed on.

"Then you understand the current mentality of Loria, and how by law you are required to obey me, soldier and weapon of Loria."

"With all due lack of respect, currently elected High Councilman. Kill yourself."

Now every firmly, the paternal air that his voice once carried had evaporated, alike my patience.

"You will enact the following orders: You WILL modify your memory according to this chip which will do it properly for you."

"Indeed? At what variant of modifications are these? I am not to pleased with your initial programmed instructions, and am at no will to have these reinforced."

Coldly, the man brushed aside the offered whisky, and made his intentions clear.

"You will serve team RWBY, our systems which monitor your mind have determined that you intend to betray them to their deaths with this half truth you announced to them as their professor. You will solidify the Miss Weiss Schnee's affections for you, and appreciate these things for she is the one most at risk! As of now, she has the command of the most resources than even Vale thorugh the company that she will soon be head of, and we can't afford to miss such a large addition to Loria's powers, and therefore this makes her the largest target. If you become this close to this human, acting as the bodyguard you were built to be will be no challenge, due to your available as a defense: you already slept in the same room as the girls while conspiring to kill them, integrating yourself with RWBY?"

_Thats enough._ Standing quickly and therefore abruptly halting the hail and torment of orders, I fired the deadliest bolt of electricity I could conjure without hurting myself and damaging my aura, using every form of energy which filled the room around me, and all the argentum within my bones... Only for the Commander before me to absorb it, unphased. In shock, I spoke.

"Wha-"

"Do you honestly think I would have come to potentially challenge a lethal weapon such as yourself without being able to defend myself?"

Suddenly, the room became dark, meaning that my semblance, the crutch I use to even walk with and see had been disabled. As I felt my legs collapse from under me, I painfully hit the floor, unable to even move with significant or even noteworthy strength.

"These anti-aura technology you people have is more potent than I anticipated..."

"Particularly effective against a biological machine which is totally dependant on his semblance. Either you will make the changes and memory wipes I have deemed proper, or I will make the upload for you."

"Please detail them first? What else?"

In saying this, I had acknowledged my defeat. If the Commander had noted this or not, I do not know since I could not detect any smile or mannerisms of the living. My capacity to appreciate such details of this world had literally been shut off. These will be my last moments of this state of mind, and all I can think about, is how my good memories of Roman, Cinder, and Steven will vanish. The memory of Steven's life will vanish. I am now to become what I had fought so hard to never change into. If I had not killed them in this mental state, I would have had real memories of them in the perversion which a philosopher would have called good.

Would I keep argentum? Would my views on the White Fang be either a synthetic facade, or would I entirely forget the entire crime syndicate of Vale which would include those three which I still hold dear. But is it better this way, to be the lap dog, or lapcat of the do-gooders? Now I can discard the pain of killing Cinder, without guilt of any form. Rather than valid excuses, but truly forgetting all my sins. Does this qualify as some macabre confession? Why should a weapon such as me be made to feel? Penny was and is a project to replicate humanity. I exist to destroy the elements of humanity that my programming draws crosshairs upon. How cruel, a sociopath who feels.

I am a masochist. To kill with someone else's sadism and anger, and to enjoy being used to project such mixed darkness: not a white or black light, but a disgusting grey. To deep down, enjoy being toyed with at the biochemical and therefore psychological level.

A perplexity worthy of Sigmund Freud: the author of the concept of perversion being natural. The script writer of this twisting, unfeeling man before me. To this monster, naturalness is to be perverted: evil becomes good, and therefore good is evil. There must be balance, being equal or stacked to one direction by a set ratio. Not all scales are even, but there must be two sides of a coin to have currency and therefore value.

"I know you built me... That much is clear, and I know it will be erased. Rather, do not detail the changes, if I do or not know will not matter: you will erase this memory which sees and hears these things you order will be erased."

_Omega, kill me. But first, take me, and use me to end this perversion. Change me back into the evil I need to be. I understand. The end of this existence will not be through destroying one "side" or idealism, but preserving enough of its opposite. Without evil, we will not have grim. Without grim, we will not have any unity within Remnant. What is to come, I cannot say, but nothing will remain standing if the living are not forced to form community against a common enemy. We will return to the slaughter, ironically known by the currently dead forces of communism, or imperialism, which we Lore-Masters know as the First World War, the Second World War, and the Cold War, and the many other conflicts, that the other four kingdoms of Remnant will probably recreate with this sudden loss of evil._

_If a fraction of the living and this world's growth must be hindered by a few monsters in the dark, then so be it._

My physical abilities returned to me. Simply sitting in my armchair, I reclined the back of the chair, and it began to glow. _So it begins._ Of course there's more to this chair than looks suggest: this is my home terminal which I use to access the Lore-Master library situated within the building: we had done away with books, and replaced them with the ability to copy information directly into the brain, and to correct memories to serve the realistic truth. I closed my eyes, and waited for my Commander to plugin the data card which would change my very existence into the chair.

"You have done well Drexel. While the data transfer and modifications are in action, I will leave here a package for you: communications, directly to me. If you need military assistance in maintaining Remnant's peace or dealing with large numbers of assailants too great for you and team RWBY to handle alone, the Calvary will answer it's summons. Furthermore, you will be rewarded... Details are in the transfer."


	43. Chapter 43

_Beacon – Beacon Garden's – Weiss's Point of View_

Another morning. This one, I can enjoy, since yesterday, both Blake, Yang and I have agreed to get Ruby on a massive sugar high so that the drop of when the sugar wore off would be so strong, that she would sleep soundly. All night. According to Blake's amature chemistry calculations, she should be out for a few more hours, based on her her ability to recover from a sugar high that strong.

A beautiful morning, with a perfect coffee.

But what's this? Some seems to have slept in the park, under the willow tree last night. Curled up in a ball and surrounded from head to toe in a black cloak, laying on his side, is Professor Torchwick. Why something this radical from a person who has a place to sleep, and has even been shown to be welcome to rest in the RWBY dorm. Walking up to the dark ball of questionable actions, I poked what appeared to be the sleeping Lore-Master.

"Professor... You awake?"

"Yeah."

Somewhat making an effort to sit up, I then had a glimpse of the hooded face as the black cloth slid from blocking the depressed visage.

"Are you okay? You don't need to stick out here in the garden..."

"Yes..."

Although his face was hooded, I knew full well that if he could defeat people in duels blindfolded, he could see the cold frown I subjected him to.

"Well, maybe not as good as I could be, per say... Lets go with... Questioning my life."

"Don't leave me hanging."

"I've killed alot of people Weiss. Its not easy going on, and recognizing some kid who's parents I've knocked off, it happens almost all the time just walking down the streets, these days."

Shifting nervously, the broken professor continued.

"You may have heard that the White Fang has receded into the shadows where it's violence was born. I killed Roman Torchwick the night that I had been permitted to linger within your team's dorm."

"Whats your point? He's a murderer, a thief-"

"And served as my father and brother figure. He trusted me, and I used it to kill him. And his retainer."  
>"Wait, you mean that Cinder girl?"<p>

"Indeed... I held the trust of her too."

"So... How's Steven?"  
>"I caught her plotting to kill me due to their suspicion that I killed Roman. Therefore, sometime after Roman's death, I killed Steve and Cinder in the same hour. These people were my family... Cinder acting as a sister to me, Roman as a brother, and Steve my childhood friend! I killed off my family! Whatever they were, and whatever they did..."<p>

Scrunching up into some form of a fetal position, Drexel hugged his legs.

"I thought nothing of it for the past few days. What does that make me? I betrayed. I literally backstabbed Steve. I could have spared Steve and Cinder, and simply could have severed their connections to the White Fang. To make matters worse, I killed countless members of the White Fang rather than simply keeping my door shut, men and woman, even teenagers, just because I felt like it. What does that make me Weiss? How can anyone trust me now? Before I killed but I held my loyalty... Now..."

I'm not a therapist, how does one deal with a Professor and teenage Engineer who just stopped working?

"At least there is some good news."

"Like... What?"  
>"Loria, the city of the Lore-Masters? They forgave my action of desertion... And they promoted me. I'm a Captain now, they called me Captain Drexel of Loria. No more Torchwick. They don't make Lore-Masters that are not old enough to serve as Military Officers the rank of Captain, this... This is really a big thing."<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Omega<strong>_

Thats right Drexel. You think that. Don't forget what the Gravestone said.

_You're already dead. This wish has lingered in your heart and mind for some time now. I know it. You offered us your life. Watch us take it. But remember: Alpha, Omega, you cannot have a beginning without an end._


	44. Chapter 44

_Drexel's Home and Point of View_

Ice cream.

I just got a visit.

From ice cream.

I swear, I wasn't breaking any bad, I don't cook 'meth'.

Seriously, though.

Ice cream.

"When are you actually going to take me seriously, Drexel?"

Lawlz. Ice cream. Jokes aside, the particular associate of the late deceased Roman Torchwick known as Neopolitan, a rather layered girl (tehehehe), had come to visit. This isn't a particular surprise, based on their connections... But I always must play with my food, or, at least make her play with her cream.

Looking down at the Neopolitan ice cream laid out in front of Neo, I received a look of equally mixed boredom and humor.

"Never. Ever. You know me better than that, Neo. Are you going to eat your ice cream, or let it melt?"

"This really is getting old."

"I strongly beg to differ, its just the same temperature as it initially was three seconds ago."

"You know what I mean."

"It just came out of the freezer."

"Why did I come here?"

"Clearly not for my ice cream."

Stare down. Any second now, I expect the pair of us to pull stun revolvers and old western the living daylights out of this moment. Pure. Dramatic. Gold.

"Why are you such a Drama-Master?"

"Why so Sirius?"

"Why so nosy?"

"Snape. Snape. Severus, Snape. Snape. Snape. Serverus, Snape."  
>"DUMBLEDORE!"<p>

Silence again. Why can't I out weird this girl? Maybe its her tri-state of mind, the sugar probably got to her head.

"Hey Drexel?"  
>"Hey Neo, will you take the blue pill? Or the red pill?"<p>

"Both, with a side of honesty."

Damn. She's good.

"What color pill would we have then?"

"Not sure, never was good with my colors."  
>"Indeed, your hair clearly outlines your theory."<p>

"Nice place, Drexel. Compensating for something?"

Too good.

"This is where I roll my eyes and quote my lonely childhood that I spent alone behind a chemistry set until a rather pathetic criminal killed off my family and hired me, rather than permitting me to get depressed and become a bat furry. Where I would then kick his ass, scripted or not. Speaking of the pathetic criminal, where's bitch one?"

"Well spoken, bitch two. I was about to ask the same thing. Haven't seen Cinder around? Don't tell me that she's been staying the previous nights with you."  
>"No idea, I thought she was with you, although that does sound nice... Why does the ice cream search for the things most hazardous for her? You of all people should not play with fire."<p>

"And you should? Since when do you care about me?"

"Ever since I could make a melting ice cream pun."

What is it now? Drexel: 4, Neo: 5

Not that I'm keeping score. Does the previous ice cream comment count? Lets just say it does, since I'm cheap.

"The glacier that was once your pride is now doing the way of the titanic, Drexel. Never thought you could go lower on the sense of humor scale, but-"

"But now I'm three colors below the surface?"

Why she hasn't killed me yet (or at least tried to), I don't know.

"We should have done broadway."

"Your style already has the triple threat element down."

"And you style has one black poncho too many."  
>"Dammit Neo, its not a poncho. Its a cloak."<p>

"I don't trust you, Darth, so I'm leaving you a gift."

"I like gifts. I just hope you're not hitting on me, that just be wrong."

"You never were an ice cream lover anyways. Play nice with Mercury and Emerald."

Already at the door, as she left, the two uninvited interlopers entered my corner of solitude that I call home. Jokingly, I called out to them.

"Oh look, the niece and nephew... I just wish that Roman would get that divorce finalized."

As Mercury make his fingers into guns, and clicked his tongue mockingly, Emerald simply rolled her eyes. Once the walking desert had left, the three of us dropped the act and air of sarcastic hatred. Adressing them, welcoming and mischievously, I got serious.

"You're late. Lets get smashed."

* * *

><p><em>RWBY Dorm – Weiss's Point of View<em>

Its another typical weekday evening. The homework is done. No early morning classes tomorrow.

With everyone brewing in their boredom, and Blake paired with her book being the exception, I broke the silence.

"Lets visit Drexel. Maybe we can brighten up his day. He seemed depressed when I saw him earlier. Who am I kidding, hes probably doing something fun. All in favor of gate crashing whatever is happening in the bachelor's cave?"

One... Two... Three hands up, not including mine. Lets go. Brining our ambitions back to earth, Blake spoke up.

"Alright... Who remembers the guy's instructions as to how to use that teleport... Thingy?"

Dammit Blake, why do you have to be the practical one _now_? Quietly, Yang spoke up.

"I think I remember."

* * *

><p><em>Drexel's Cave – Mercury's Point of View<em>

"Hey Drexel!"

With Emerald along and away in the kitchen, claiming that she had an awesome idea of something alcohol infused to make, she tasked the two of us guys with the concept of raiding Drexel's storeroom for the well aged whisky, a rare beverage within Remnant that could only be found in Drexel's storerooms, and the strange (also equally rare and delicious) thing he called brandy, I called out to the Lore-Master as he was carrying out a very heavy keg.

"Can it wait... For the... Moment?"

"Not really, unless explosions around here are a typical thing."

Putting down the keg in the living room, Drexel pondered an answer.

"First of all, why can't we keep the kegs in the storeroom? And second of all, yes they are, but only when I make them. You felt it too?"

Nodding, the pair of us ventured to the front door, ready for a brawl. With Drexel and his short swords, made from the immaterial black substance that he had become so fond of, and I with my fists and gauntlets, we opened the door in question... Only to find a particular team RWBY, sprawled and intermingled in between each other's appendages on the teleportation surface.

"Drexel... Did you invite them?"  
>"Nay friend, did you?"<br>"Oh please, you did teach me something about etiquette."

"Hey team of the RWBY!"

Drexel now approaching the mess of mostly virgins, he began to attempt to ascertain the meaning of this disturbance.

"Why the estrogen casserole?"

Yang instantly infuriated by this very sexist (and well played) comment, instantly lit up like the unstable firecracker that she is.

"DREXEL, ILL HAVE YOU KNOW... Oh... Yeah... Hey, this is actually kind of funny..."

The same blonde's voice dropping into a mid growl, she continued.

"... I kinda like this..."

With me now edging to hide behind Drexel, and Drexel trying to hide behind me, we shared a whisper in unison.

"Isn't Ruby her sister?"

With the heap of all the indignant single ladies, Weiss attempted to offer a superior explanation and potential retort.

"Well... We we're worried about you, Drexel... We came to see if you weren't too badly depressed, not detect our quantity of neurotransmitters... Jerk."

Suddenly, I couldn't help but burst into tears of laughter.

"Are you kidding me? This Lore-Master has been embalming himself with alcohol, how he can even speak in his usual..."

Straightening myself properly, and assuming a British accent, I continued my jest.

"... Very sophisticated and educated manner of di-"

Very, very rudely cut short by the same Lore-Master in question though a sudden karate chop, I found myself winded and on the ground.

"Honestly, that impression leaves a great deal of improvement to be desired from your same frontal brain lobe where I expect intelligence and originality. By no matter what so ever do I speak in such a ghastly method or form such a preposterous syntax."

Winded or not, potentially bruised or not, irrelevant of any bones which may have been broken... That was totally worth it. I would have joined the four girls in their laughter and generally snort based laughter if I had the oxygen in my lungs to laugh with. Indignant, the cloaked man of wrath turned into his cave, followed by the five of us (with Ruby and Blake being kind enough to help me up).

This is going to be a fun evening. But why are there three empty holes without any ornament around them at the base of Drexel's favorite willow tree? Did the guy simply go mad, or does he have intentions to murder? All the same, I'm not poking around his freezer.

Quirky Ruby then piped up.

"Hey Drexel, want a haircut?"

Before the cat could refuse, we all pinned him down, Yang tied him up with some rope that she conveniently brought, and we carried him inside while dodging the random bolts of electricity he was still somehow capable of firing.


	45. Chapter 45

_A few days later – Mr. Schnee's office – Winter's Point of View_

"You do realize the severity of this situation? This intermingling of races is unacceptable. Must I really, really replay this video for you, Winter?"

Following his word, Dad in his chair behind that desk played the video in question again on the large flat screen television set to his right.

_A handful of teenagers, walking down the street clearly with bottles of alcohol with labels stripped from the glass containers walked down the street. This company consisted of a girl in black and red, clearly younger than the rest with a rectangular device at her belt, a girl who could only be Weiss, a girl with a black bow on her head, a girl scantily clad also wearing yellow gauntlets in complementation of her blonde hair, and a fifth particular individual. The other two teenagers along with this group were apparently irrelevant, but this fifth person appeared to have a pair of black cat Faunus ears protruding from his head. _

His dress acceptable to Dad, being in a silk black vest, a white dress shirt, black dress pants and shoes were not the issue. The alcohol was irrelevant, there wasn't enough in the image to get all of them potentially even tipsy as they were passing it around and each of them seemed to get equal amounts.

_Its the ears. He's a Faunus, and the next few frames would be intolerable. If Weiss simply keeping the company of a Faunus as a mere servant was even too much, the quick peck on his cheek which he returned with a more tangible, full out kiss would equate to an outrage. _

"I know Daddy, I understand. I get it. But why not just hit him hard and now, with Weiss along with?"

A little more... Relaxed, the business mogul behind his mahogany desk answered.

"It probably is the Faunus, using the kitty charm to perhaps even control Weiss. She knows better than this, so you simply visiting her and reminding her the violence that has been happening against our family for all these years should be enough to fix the problem. I would rather think that a con is the issue, rather than Weiss, or even you if you were in her place."

Fair enough.

"But what if it is the worst case scenario here? Then what?"

Darkly, I attained the answer I was hoping for.

"Then you capture Weiss, and use her as bait to kill the Faunus. I will give you cash to contact the right people to get it done. None of it can be traced back to the company, you understand?"

With a deadly, bitter sweetness, I replied happily.

"Yes Daddy."

_It really is too bad, Drexel. Weiss and I had such fun playing doctor, this would be almost perfect. I read those letters you had sent to me, the well spoken gentleman seemed to even capture Ruby's emotions to some extent. Isn't he a real charmer? Even I had him in my dreams for some some time, even Father knew about him and what he had done for us in those days after Mother had died._

_He would have recognized you, and welcomed you the perfect match for his eldest child. He would have honestly welcomed you._

_If only you weren't a Faunus._

_Now die, in whatever way I see fit._


	46. Chapter 46

_Beacon – Some Classroom – Weiss's Point of View_

I expected Drexel's classes to be as action packed as the previous. Sitting in this borrowed lecture hall listening to "lost battles of the land before Grimm", staying awake was rather difficult. The tactics he included, such as what he called "trench warfare" and the such, I could not help but raise my hand and ask one question.

"Hey Professor, why do we need any of this, if we can just fight our way in and destroy the anti-dust and anti-semblance measures in place?"

Smiling gently, he he said simply:

"Because the potential defences you may have to face could range between any of these. Furthermore, it seems as if Vale has always been developing anti-semblance measure in the form of an artillery shell: rather than detonating, it broadcasts the interruption field similar in nature to that which I already described."

Taking her turn to speak up, Blake supported me.

"So you're training us to fight against Valesian forces?"

"No, Blake, Vale's capacity in military capacity is only a form of counter balancing it's lack of advanced military equipment, when compared to Kingdoms such as Vacuole. If Vale is developing it, then everyone else beyond doubt already has it ready."

"Then why haven't these Kingdoms which you claim to be hostile bothered to attack yet?"

Pausing, the cloaked Professor advanced into the matter hesitantly.

"The following is... Classified Data within the Valesian military archives. None of us should know this. The other Kingdoms are using this as an explosive, with a small radius rather than a constantly emitted shield. For example, their anti-tank and anti-airship shells emit an anti-dust pulse before exploding. This knocks out the dust powered engines and other systems within whatever mechanism they deem fit."

Taking another pause, the teenager continued.

"Each Kingdom has developed this branch of weaponry in moderately different ways in the technical aspect to knock out tanks, aircraft, even ships in this manner. Vale is the exception as their variation works on infantry too. You will be expected to fight inside such a disabling field against large numbers of enemy infantry which lack hand-to-hand skills, and ranged weaponry of any form. There only artillery, will be either the primitive type, such as ancient mortar and grenade weapons. No air support. The only effective weapons, will be the kinetic combustion weapons which I will provide. For at least three days, we will have the total advantage: knocking out enemy everything within a large radius, waiting for the anti-dust/semblance effects to wear themselves off, and then attack a totally disarmed enemy."

Smiling, Drexel finished his point.

"Its nuclear warfare, but without the radiation but only targeting everything that is dust powered. Everything these days, is dust powered. Perhaps you are familiar with the electromagnetic pulse? The pulse weapon in question was rendered useless with the birth of dust technology, but now..."

The Professor's daydreaming was then cut short, by a girl that looked and dressed very much like Weiss who then very loudly entered the classroom. Without saying a word, she took the empty seat to Weiss's left. Adressing her, Drexel sounded slightly surprised.

"Winter? What are you doing here? You aren't on the class list, how did you get instructions to this place?"

The classroom invader simply shrugged. What is she doing here anyways? This is my world, my life at this school, away from the fiasco that is my family!

_She does not belong here._

"Since when did you become a Professor?"

* * *

><p><em>Beacon – Some Classroom – Ren's Point of View<em>

This is great. I like it.

This girl, Winter? Weiss has mentioned that she had a sister named Winter, and these two are too alike in appearance to be anything but siblings.

I _have_ to talk to this new girl, I bet she has all the dirt on Weiss! Yes, there it is! Already, the two have begun to fight! As Weiss hissed at the Winter, and Winter hissed back all in some form of bitter whispering of mock welcome, one thing became clear.

Weiss may be the Ice Queen, but Winter (despite her chilling name) should have been named Summer: she is too sweet to have any relation with Weiss! Winter is already flirting back at Jaune, who couldn't resist the potential of a second chance at a near look alike to Weiss, with Pyrrha already making sour faces.

Its too bad that Ruby seems to disapprove of this second Schnee, things would be very much more interesting if Red had seemed to prefer this counterpart to the first wave of apparent frost. Who knows, what if part of it is since Jaune had some clear attention on Pyrrha? Surrendering to the other red head would be one thing, with the master duelist Pyrrha being a gracious friend, but a random and unwelcome dark horse candidate would have no mercy from the scythe wielder.

Drexel too had taken a similar attitude of disapproval, which I would have prefered to see the dark haired Faunus go head over heels for the younger of the two. The comic potential! Perhaps it is since she had made such a classroom interruption. Some time ago, rumor told of a particular team CRDL interrupting a lecture he had with a far more senior class, only to have the deadly professor hospitalize the obnoxious CRDL. I suppose my desires for a live action soap opera would not happen this year.

Naturally Blake has instantly shown a brand of hatred for this white clad poser, as Winter had tried to get Blake's attention by trying to take the book which the bookworm was reading under the table. Even Drexel knows better than that, and hes the most potent professor I have seen in... Well, I haven't been around long, but Drexel had managed to suck the aura from Pyrrha. That takes skill.

Yang seemed to be uncaring, but any ability to gauge a reaction from her would be cut short by the bell. A sulking Drexel was particularly displeased, as he was so close to finishing his lesson which he clearly had spent much time and great precision into putting together lost documents and battle plans: things which even our very own bookworm, Blake could not ignore.

Yes, will be an interesting week. It seems that Neptune had turned up, the professor's arch enemy as the two lighting wielders had been lobbying for Weiss's affections, the tension existing primarily since Drexel seemed to be used to killing anything which ever stood in his way. Since he had gone with Weiss to the dance that Drexel was absent for by Weiss's request and the kiss the two shared no too long ago, any appearance of Neptune caused Drexel to become far more dangerous in mere seconds. With the appearance of this second "cool" interloper, Drexel seemed to look more dangerous and menacing than ever: the result of the Professor's tempers gaining the very rare flare. One thing was certain: both bachelors were difficult to anger or even cross, but once you did?

Damn, I need to get my hands on a video camera. If I fail to record a full out brawl between Drexel and Neptune, or the two Schnees, I will never forgive myself. Walking up to my own counterpart, I addressed Nora.

"Want to help me film stuff?"  
>"Only if we can hide in closets."<br>"Seriously Nora, Narnia doesn't exist."

Scowling, the pink clad girl muttered the usual.

"Dammit Ren, one of these days..."


	47. Chapter 47

_Beacon – Deserted Hallway – Neptune's Point of View_

This is strange.

Standing here in my bunny slippers and sleeping gear, I had answered the demanding summons made by Winter at my team's dorm. Not only did she insist that our discussion happened in private, but to be begin in the next thirty seconds.

"Listen to me carefully, Neptune. I'm not going to repeat this, and neither will you."  
>"Okay, okay, then just spit it out."<p>

The girl in her night gown then began her speel.

"Theres something I need you to do. You won't get caught, and you will be paid very, very well. Up for it?"

"Sure."  
>"You're going to help me kidnap Weiss and kill Professor Drexel."<p>

* * *

><p><em>Beacon – RWBY Dorm – Drexel's Point of View<em>

I like being a cat. Cats are the superior species. Dogs can go die, humans mostly suck, the Faunus are okay, but cats? Streching it out on my windowsill, I then laid down. As I suppresed my desire to assail the white birds on the lawn in the cool evening breeze, a small, slender, femine hand made contact with my neck and began to scratch. Sensing it to be Ruby, I decided against fighting the scrach: things like this don't happen often from anyone. Striking up pre-bedtime conversation, Yang began the evening banter.

"Where do you think your sister is staying, Weiss? I thought I saw her moving around the halls in her night gown."

In a rather detatched way, Weiss simply answered emotionlessly.

"Don't know. Don't care."

Reinforcing Weiss's position, Blake offered her two cents.

"I'm with the Ice Queen on this one. The book hater can sleep with team CRDL for all I care."

"Hey! I'm not any kind of Ice Queen."  
>"Yes you are."<p>

Brushing Ruby side, Weiss walked up to the sill and picked me up from around the middle, holding me a little too losely for my taste. Quickly and sharply with each retort, I offered my own bickering consisting of my one worded poetry: meowing.

"Meow. Meow. Meow. Meow."

"Can it, cat boy."  
>"Meow."<p>

Gesturing to our little exchange, Blake sighed and repeated her remark.

"See? Ice Queen."

Partially in defiance with the Ice Queen only holding me with one arm, she began to climb her way up to her bunk. What is this girl trying to prove? Holding me captive will only prove Blake's point!

"Meow! Meow! Meow!"

Trying her hardest to sleep, an annoyed Yang threw in a very bitter interjection.

"Shut it, you little pussy!"

"Meow."

Finally now on somewhat more secure grounds, Weiss placed me on the bed before she finished climbing her way up. Now desperate to stir drama, Yang piped up again.

"Now your just sleeping with him? You're just as shameless as me."

Blushing fire, flames, and a blizzard the Lady of Frost spat a retort.

"Blake has Sun and her books. I have class and a sentient cat. You have cheep gauntlet shotguns and boys with low standards. Your point?"

Blake now turning redder than the average tomato due to the Sun comment, and Yang starting to flare up, I could not help but roll my eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Beacon – Deserted Hallway – Neptune's Point of View<em>

"Okay Winter, explain to me right now why I shouldn't turn you over to the teachers right now?"  
>"Please, my fathers company owns the resources that everyone needs. I'll be out faster than they can get here."<br>"Fair point."

"This also involves killing Drexel."

"I don't like the guy, dont get me wrong, but isn't that a bit much?"

Both the younger girl and I knew that my resistance to the very attractive offer was only token in origin: time would eventually wear down my resolve into nothing different than obediance.

"Did you know that Drexel killed my mother? Or that he lost count of all the others he has killed after he reached 200? And do you remember Roman Torchwick, the wanted criminal who had dissapeared? Drexel Torchwick. Roman Torchwick."  
>"Winter, I don't get it."  
>"They're brothers. Drexel has been in the... Family buisness from a very young age, slitting throats and building bombs before he could ride a bike."<p>

"Oh..."

Now that she mentions it this way, plotting to do little more than save Weiss for a dangerous criminal who I never liked while getting paid for it sounds not too bad. It could even land me a good job in the Schnee Dust Company in security if I get expelled for this plotting.

"Don't worry Neptune, none of this is illegal: we already have the documentation giving Daddy's consent to this. Did you know that Weiss hasn't turned 18 yet?"

Besides, I'm doing the Ice Queen a favor. She'll warm up eventually when it becomes apparent.

"Fine. I'm in."

* * *

><p><em>Beacon – RWBY Dorm – Drexel's Point of View<em>

On the edge of the top bunk and as a cat, I waited as Weiss slipped under her bedsheets. Opting for the corner practically beside her feet for the excellent view of the door and windowsill for security reasons. I'm here for work, not some stuffed cuddly animal.

Even if my fur is soft.

But before I could lay down, a pair of hands from behind picked me up, and held me like a stuffed toy.

"Meow." _Dammit Weiss, I'm working._

"Hush, little kitty."

"Meow." _But you're choking me to death._

"Shhh."

"Meow." _Please, you're rich enough to buy a comfort object._

"Go with it."

"Meow." _I did Blake._

"Let me sleep."

"Meow." _At this rate, Yang is probably next, and not by my choice._

"You aren't making this easy. Go back to human so this can be less awkward."

Obeying, I found myself pressed against the bed with the much shorter girl using me as a living pillow.

This is going to suck when they figure out that they own me, seeing as how I'm technically the property of the Lorian High Council. At least nobody can hear my thoughts.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Inside Drexel's Mind - Omega's Point of View<strong>_

**"I can hear you, Drexel."**

"Screw you, Omega."

**"A bit ironic if Yang screws you first."**

"Are you really going to make me repeat myself?"

**"Not if I make Ruby kill you first."**

"I'll get her high off sugar and send her at you."

**"You'll wake up, soon enough."**

"Wake up? I'm still awake, being used as a living matress."

**"All good things must come to an end."**

"I didn't get the human/faunus emotion brain module activated yet, the modifications are still kicking in."

**"You will understand before the end."**

"Aren't you an amusing collective? I'll enjoy killing you."

**"If I die, we both die. I am reality, to survive me must embrace."**

"Does my situation amuse you? Sadist."

**"Masochist. The fact that you see this 'situation' as a hellish trap is rather amusing, concidering your previous state of mind and how most males would be expected to react."  
><strong>"Sadist. I'm the masochist here, although I can't say I enjoy your playful deceit."

**"Wake up Drexel. The old 'you' is in there somewhere, I know you saved a copy of your memories. You will find it before the end."**

"Got any whisky?"

**"At least you kept your low end mannerisms, Bender."**


	48. Chapter 48

The very young girl seemed very much out of place. As she folded up the canvas of the green tent, her blue and black carefree summer dress contrasted with the colors of the camouflage nets, and the green variant of the White Fang uniforms: Green in place of the White, Black in place of the Red. These colors suited the thick forest better which many fought and died in from both sides in this stalemate.

The White Fang had become more than a criminal syndicate. The General and leader of Vale had become unpopular among his people, resulting in many defecting. This camp serves as the last point holding the Valesian army back from the city of the Fang, better known as the White City.

Ironic, seeing as how there's nothing white about it at all. But it's primary architect and de-facto namer was rather poetic and maybe a little unimaginative where names are concerned.

The bush warfare which claimed equally great numbers of lived between both sides in this civil war was the thing which concerned the girl in this war: the Human-Faunus conflict simply saw no end. Perhaps the Faunus have been secluded into one location: but it was a matter of free choice and will. The half built city which stands only due to the strength of the White Fang could better be described as a modern fortress, it's defences not even touched due to the bloodshed in the surrounding bush.

Her older brother and keeper was an element of this White Fang. An ordinary soldier had not won a skirmish, but ended it, in a manner of speaking that saved hundreds of lives. It may have formed the stalemate, but the human forces did not break through due to it.

_None of this mattered to her._

Her brother was always there. When the scary men with intentions towards her that she did not understand tried to take her, he had slain them all. When strange shadows which she knew were only her imagination scared her, the gentle giant seemed to make them vanish like the fog and vapor they really were. From the trees that fell dead with age, the older of the two seemed to have an innate skill of forming things, almost seemingly from apparent immaterial which became her playthings with the strong oak wood.

_But that was the past._

He was wounded in ways that the surgeons could not comprehend. The blunt end of a weapon had stricken him in a way which he did not wake up from. She did not understand, the thing the men called science seemed like magic which could only restore those it chose to restore. It was unfair, but she accepted it. She accepted it because she had to. You cannot change time, time changes you.

_And now it has come to this._

In this tent, here lies a boy. In this boy, here lies a conflict. He must win soon, to finish the war that surrounds him.

_There is no choice._

Nobody wants war. Only the ignorant state loving poet glorifies war. If there is a God who judges against Sin, then War is the most mortal of Sins.

_But that does not matter either._

The black cat ears and beautiful black hair locks of the girl did not stand out as so much as the cruel and ornate dagger at her side. The childish and beautiful bow around her waist of black silk which had a hidden hilt seemed to clash with the tool, which these days seems only to be used for warfare made seeable since only the blade portion was hidden. The tradition of this camp, sitting this close to the conflict which may go on for eternity is to kill it's wounded invalids so that their final days may not be of suffering too great: the only people who ever come back do so only through great acts of military prowess. The men of the camp have made it clear in ambiguous whispers: his time has come.

_But that does not matter either._

She remain here with her older cat faunus brother, using his straight edge shaving razor to keep him looking as well as he did since _that day_. She would ensure that the IV bags of the fluid keeping him alive would remain to be constantly replaced when needed. She would air out the tent to keep him from overheating, and swat the malaria carrying bugs before they assaulted his pale white skin. But his hair would continue to grow. Only soldiers cut their hair into baldness, and he would be a soldier no longer. This is her brother. He has done his duty, and what the other men, soldiers say...

_Well, that does not matter either. One poisoned dagger can go a long way._

* * *

><p><em>Drexel's Home and Point of View<em>

I woke with a strange feeling that I had not felt in a great quantity of time.

I felt weak.

A light pressure almost in response to this emotion... This disgrace... It seemed to answer my feeling of helplessness.

It was soft, reminding me of someone I knew but had no memory of. A face deep in my memory which I do not recall or can describe. It was some reassurance that only a young child could offer through a hug, the kind of child that was your own where blood stood in concern.

My dreams of late have been strange. I haven't ever dreamed before, as I had always scryed in my sleep.

Its like a torture: I seem to wake but never leave sleep...

_What is this torment?_


	49. Chapter 49

_Beacon - Drexel's Borrowed Classroom - Drexel's Point of View_

I know that nobody likes extra history lessons, or at least, not these students. But as of late in training, they have been making the same tactical mistakes which could be avoided through a basic knowledge of past conflicts.

The rules of the game have changed, or at least the equipment the teams RWBY and JNPR use to toe the rules has changed.

Ruby now carries a massive bolt action sniper rifle with a drum barrel magazine and massive bayonet, capable of accepting stun ammunition and the kinetic weapons which I am attempting to retrain them into using.

Weiss still carries a variant of the Myrentaster which fires .303 magnum bullets. Also capable of stun rounds and the kinetic ammunition.

Blake now is armed with a pair of high capacity automatic pistols, capable of firing also stun and kinetic rounds.

But before I could finish my mental list, Jaune raised his hand.

"Yes, Jaune?"  
>"Professor, I was wondering... Why are you giving all of us new weapons, rather than teaching us how to modify the stuff that we are already comfortable with to accept these new ammo types you want us to use?"<p>

About to answer, with my mouth wide open, I caught myself. _Why not?_ It would be a simple enough modification... All their weapons are stable in design (with the monstrous exception of Ruby's scythe. That thing needs downsizing), and just need their barrels and receivers rebuilt in the simplest way possible. To fire the stun beads, a smaller barrel could be fit under the larger, and an extra switch beside the safety called "stun".

It would enable these two teams to capture rather than kill when convenient without having to sacrifice any advantage.

"Screw this, lets do that. Come on everyone, we're going to my place. The next few classes will..."

Suddenly everything began to melt around me. The students seem to fold into themselves and form puddles as if they were made of argentum, their muscles and bones non-existent. The desks began to also melt, as well as the walls... The Ceiling...

"Wi-"

_Even me._

While this nightmare of a reality took over, somehow the other student could speak. Their voices were of worry, and questioning. Some asked or screamed out if I was okay, or simply as a reaction from a variant of traumatic shock. As I began to puddle upon the ground, a harsh and cruel whisper took to the air.

_"You know this Drexel: Nothing you see here is real."_

* * *

><p><em>Beacon - Drexel's Borrowed Classroom - Blake's Point of View<em>

Suddenly in mid sentence, the Professor had collapsed as if he were one of those puppets whose strings had been cut. He had been muttering things once he struck the ground, as if he had a stroke or some bizarre hallucination. Maybe both?

The sudden nature of the fall wasn't the surprising part, but that he even struck the floor in the first place. This is the person which my team and I have known to kill and restore life, now suddenly struck down for an unknown reason instantaneously.

Something feels very, very wrong. Everything feels now so dreamlike... Its as if I could just fire a few bullets and the glass separating me from reality would shatter, only to repair itself anew. But just as quickly as that feeling flit into my mind... It disappeared, as if the only thing wrong was that the professor had dropped unconscious, maybe even dead. Ruby and Ren were the first to react, quickly running to the cloaked heap which struck the ground a bit too hard.

Within a short period of time, the class was cancelled and the fallen teenager was moved to the medical wing.

* * *

><p><em>Unknown Location - Drexel's Point of View<em>

Everything hurts. It seems as if I'm laying on my back with my eyes closed. Feeling the... Cot. I am on a cot. Why a cot? The hospital wing doesn't use cots unless there are more casualties than the place can handle, which is a massive statement: the Beacon medical wing can tolerating large quantities of wounded students while acting as a backup hospital in the event of a disaster within Vale.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in a dimly lit tent, stuffy with a very humid heat. The lack of light was beneficial, seeing as how my eyes then stepped on the pedal which sent my pain receptors in my brain into overdrive over the lacking illumination within the tent: any stronger light would be no less than torture.

But this isn't Beacon. This isn't even home. It feels as if I had slept for weeks, thus conditioning my eyes to the darkness formed by closed eyelids. Could I be hallucinating? A lucid dream of some variant? I know that injecting argentum, particularly of that purity may mess with my mind. Is this the beginning of a labyrinth which I had unintentionally filled my mind with?

Finding the strength to sit up, I cracked my back and looked around the room. Against the metal and canvas cot, I found a belt bearing two short swords next to a pair of boots which I recognized as my own. I recalled getting them some time ago... But why am I gaining memories which I never knew I had?

My strength gaining with a speed and potency which I found to be most convenient, I took the surprisingly light belt and fastened it to my waist, and put on my black leather boots. Looking down on myself, I found a uniform which I also recognized as my own: green, a shade of which that could easily serve as efficient camouflage. Walking up to a long mirror propped up in the tent, tripping on myself along the way, I observed myself.

I must have been out for some time: the hair which had been cut by the other teenagers has grown back to it's thick mass. I was much taller than I remembered, by at least four inches. Perhaps six? To my left, the split in the canvas which made the structure's entrance was pulled back thus allowing a flood of blinding light to enter which I shielded myself from. A loud squeak of equal shock, happiness, and surprise filled the air, followed by a child running at me and flinging him or herself into my gut in a hug. As quickly as the small figure had approached me, it left the tent in a run.

I suppose it's time that I took a look around outside, so I may as well exit the tent. Leaving the humid entrapment, I kept my eyes on the ground until they had adjusted appropriately to only find a strong surprise.

Around and before me, was a large and sprawled out military base, complete with watch towers, camouflage nets, plenty of tents and wooden temporary structures, a few parked armored transports and light jeeps every so far, and plenty of men and women dressed similarly to my wear going about their business. Not too far away, stood a girl dressed in a black and blue summer dress with that may be a knife at her black belt. The small collection of soldiers, one of which had a white armband and red cross upon the band appeared to maintain a posture of disbelief at the ecstatic girl who was similar in frame and stature to the person who hugged me.

At least, they maintained a look of disbelief until they noticed me at the mouth of the tent. Then they were struck with the shock of surprise. Then concern, the armbanded soldier and girl running to me as I slumped to the ground, my legs suddenly incapable of holding me upright as the military base within this forest became engulfed with darkness.


	50. Chapter 50

**50th Chapter Landmark. It has been fun.**

* * *

><p><em>Reality - Drexel's Point of View<em>

Reclining against my cot, I sat beside the girl in the black and blue summer dress. She was leaning against me, with a knife in her left hand. It was just us in this tent. Alone.

"Hey Drexel?"  
>"Yes, Aqua?"<p>

She shifted the dagger in her hand.

"That story you told me... You realize that it was only a hallucination? We injected with something the medic said would make you comfortable..."  
>"That would explain why the end started to feel like some acid trip. Everything was melting."<br>"What's an acid trip?"

I smiled. It was easy to smile. The girl continued, to explain to me what could feel already coming.

"You were shot. But you were wearing body armor, and it somewhat saved you... Attacking the enemy head on with your entire squad killed eight other people."  
>"I know."<p>

I do know. I simply remembered everything, a few hours after collapsing the second time.

"But you saved a lot of people. You did it the wrong way, though. The gas you used... I saw the bodies."  
>"You shouldn't have. You're too young to see those horrors, only the dead should experience then die with them."<br>"But... Because you used the gas... They say you killed thousands."

So be it.

"So they intent that you be the one to kill me?"  
>"Yes... The popular vote is that you die by the same poison gas you used on those you killed."<br>"Even the ones that I saved?"

Orders are orders. If the brass says that everyone must call for my death...

"Yes. Even them. Although they don't approve..."

Exactly as I expected.

"If I used a gun, a cylinder of conveniently deadly gas, or even a knife... Would have any of it made a difference?"  
>"I... I guess not."<p>

I could tell that she didn't want to continue talking. In this girl's eyes, I had become a criminal overnight, and had to die. It is interesting, how easily mind can be manipulated particular when you factor in age. But before she could raise the knife and stab me, the tent collapsed in onto itself, and the pair of us scattered.

* * *

><p><em>Reality - Above the Faunus Military Encampment - Weiss's Point of View<em>

Our team was split into two groups: Ruby and I rode along in one airship, with Weiss and Blake in their own. The goal was to land on opposite sides of this defensive base, destroy our way in, meet in the middle, then finish the place off as reinforcements came in. Our primary goal was to destroy the anti-air measures which prevented any air attacks, and help take the place down any way we could.

Using hidden artillery which another team helped sneak close in over night, they fired High Explosive rounds to knock over the poorly setup tents and wooden structures in the camp. This would draw more Faunus away from the wall, and make sneaking in easier... Or at least, that's what Yang suggested. I just think she wanted to blow stuff up.

We slipped around the enemy camp, and landed in from behind about five minutes ago. Now inside the base, we ran about in the same panicked state as everyone else, blending in since we were also wearing the forest style White Fang uniform. It wasn't hard to spot Yang and Blake: Yang was simply tripping and punching out individual hostiles when she thought nobody was looking. Blake was carrying a handbag full of grenades, and was discretely leaving them under things that looked important as she ran past. With everyone trying to figure out what was happening, nobody had bothered to pay attention to the two girls which were destroying everything.

"Hey Weiss... Doesn't this feel a bit too easy?"

Ruby was right, wasn't this the enemy which forced a stalemate for so long?

"Either that, or this war is now a few steps closer to being finished. Its a nice feeling. Wait... What's that?"

Crawling out of a collapsed tent, was a teenager: a White Fang soldier. He appeared to be weak, since his movements were slow and conservative, and seemed rather harmless despite the pair of short swords at his sides. Also watching, Blake and Yang caught up with us. Going right to the point, Yang opened the discussion.

"Since when do the White Fang carry swords, unless their Hunters? Maybe this one is higher ranking?"

Shaking my head, I dismissed the idea. "Nah, their higher ranks don't wear the uniform just because they can. Maybe a specialized grunt? Don't know, these guys usually cut their hair short to show off their ears unless he has a hidden tail or set of claws." As the swordsman dug through the collapsed tent, we call couldn't help but notice the panic in the soldier's face. He waved at us, calling us over. In order to avoid suspicion, we all complied. The instant we came within earshot, he began to speak.

"My sister... The tent..."

He really didn't say much, but the fact that he kept on placing all of his effort into trying to search for what he claimed to be his sister was all the proof we needed. Shortly after we found the girl, a much younger person with a knife at her belt, we all sat around the rubble with the unspoken intentions of trying to get information out of the guy. Before we could get anything worthwhile, he outright called our disguises out.

"Team RWBY, right? Or maybe this is some post graduation nostalgia? Wouldn't know much for time it... Well, it passes too quickly. Since when did you four join the Faunus cause? Blake may be a Faunus, but what about you three?"

After Blake had recovered from the shock, she drew one of her swords, only for the stranger to swat it out of her hand with one of his own blades. Holding onto her hand, as if by some trick he had hurt it, the one teenager with his sister was faced with the other three of us and our own drawn weapons.

"Not very good manners, Miss Belladona, I don't like pretenders or violent traitors. But you helped me find my sister, so I'll overlook it all. My name, is Drexel."

On that note, Drexel resheathed his blade. "Now are we your prisoners?"


	51. Chapter 51

_The Destroyed Base - Drexel's Point of View_

"Hey, little sis? Don't repeat what I'm about to say."

Walking behind her, and placing my hands on her ears, she started to say "lalalalalalala" repeatedly.

"You damned fucking shit heel huntresses with a traitor of a catbitch came to my God forsaken town and blew shit up, didn't you cu-"

It's a good thing I have decent reflexes and plenty of adrenaline to compensate for the fact that I was recently comatose and hit by a falling metal tent pole in the head: otherwise, I wouldn't be able to pick up little Aqua and run from the scythe marksman's rifle which came to a burning life in the hands of Ruby.

"You can uncover your ears now. Now, how about some brother and sister time? There should be some human soldiers dropping in any second now, so the first thing I want you to do it pick up the closest dropped gun, and hide behind something solid with it."  
>"But I wanna fight!"<p>

Diving in a convenient shallow ditch, I kept giving instructions.

"You will. You're going to pick off anyone who isn't a Faunus, and do it with the safety of some good cover."  
>"But what are you going to do?"<p>

I threw away my swords, and formed my dark matter blades. Reproachfully, Aqua offered her suspicious view.

"You didn't tell me you could do that."  
>"Thats because before, I didn't know how. Now? Now I do."<p>

It was exactly now, at this moment, that humans began popping up, alongside the prototype humanoid drones which Vale appeared to be testing.

"One more thing, Aqua? Hit the drones dead in the chest. The head is fake, and always remember: the cake is a lie. Ready?"

The girl in the dress simply nodded, and drew her dagger. I got up, still carrying her, and started to run in random patterns in order to confuse the still sniping Ruby. Soon, I found myself behind a wrecked armored car. Letting the girl go, she climbed in the open hatch quickly, and poked the tip of her head back out with glee.

"Big brother, big brother! The turret still turns, the gun still works, and there's lots of ammo!"

Sweeping my hand along the horizon, I have a simple, beautiful instruction.

"Kill them all. Target the closest infantry and any air units with priority, remember: shoot to kill."

Without hesitation, a random Valesian robot poked its head around the corner and I zapped it with a bolt of lightning, using my swords as conductors.

_This is strange, I feel so much more alive in this world... That bolt of lightning had no physical cost on me... I must test this..._

Climbing onto the car, I starting firing lightning bolts from the roof. The shots were deadly, and required no effort whatsoever on my end. Paired with the autocannon that Aqua was using, holding these interlopers back seemed simple enough... But where was team RWBY?

Looking behind me, I spotted a particular blonde running around sneakily. Chasing after her, I shot a bolt of lightning after her which narrowly missed her head, but singed a clump of her hair. Quickly dropping down, I narrowly missed a rapid counter attack from Yang which closed the distance between us, involving a series of shot gauntlet powered punches.

Sick of the time I had wasted in dispatching this one foe, I quickly took a bunch of steps back before rushing back at her through the use of a slide tackle. Once Yang was down, I took a moment to sap enough energy from my opponent to ensure that she would not give pursuit, knowing the nature of her semblance would just make things harder if I zapped her directly.

_This is just too easy._

Making my way back to the stationary gun under Aqua's control, I spotted her climbing out of the tank. No longer walking, but running over, I looked up at the girl who was standing on top of the armored platform.

"Drexel, there wasn't as much ammo as I thought..."

Putting my swords aside, I stretched out my arms for her to jump down. As she was falling the short distance between us, two holes seemed to magically appear out of her chest, with blood spurting from the gaps.


	52. Chapter 52

_The Destroyed Base - Drexel's Point of View_

"Hey, little sis? Don't repeat what I'm about to say."

Walking behind her, and placing my hands on her ears, she started to say "lalalalalalala" repeatedly.

"You damned fucking shit heel huntresses with a traitor of a catbitch came to my God forsaken town and blew shit up, didn't you cu-"

It's a good thing I have decent reflexes and plenty of adrenaline to compensate for the fact that I was recently comatose and hit by a falling metal tent pole in the head: otherwise, I wouldn't be able to pick up little Aqua and run from the scythe marksman's rifle which came to a burning life in the hands of Ruby.

"You can uncover your ears now. Now, how about some brother and sister time? There should be some human soldiers dropping in any second now, so the first thing I want you to do it pick up the closest dropped gun, and hide behind something solid with it."  
>"But I wanna fight!"<p>

Diving in a convenient shallow ditch, I kept giving instructions.

"You will. You're going to pick off anyone who isn't a Faunus, and do it with the safety of some good cover."  
>"But what are you going to do?"<p>

I threw away my swords, and formed my dark matter blades. Reproachfully, Aqua offered her suspicious view.

"You didn't tell me you could do that."  
>"Thats because before, I didn't know how. Now? Now I do."<p>

It was exactly now, at this moment, that humans began popping up, alongside the prototype humanoid drones which Vale appeared to be testing.

"One more thing, Aqua? Hit the drones dead in the chest. The head is fake, and always remember: the cake is a lie. Ready?"

The girl in the dress simply nodded, and drew her dagger. I got up, still carrying her, and started to run in random patterns in order to confuse the still sniping Ruby. Soon, I found myself behind a wrecked armored car. Letting the girl go, she climbed in the open hatch quickly, and poked the tip of her head back out with glee.

"Big brother, big brother! The turret still turns, the gun still works, and there's lots of ammo!"

Sweeping my hand along the horizon, I have a simple, beautiful instruction.

"Kill them all. Target the closest infantry and any air units with priority, remember: shoot to kill."

Without hesitation, a random Valesian robot poked its head around the corner and I zapped it with a bolt of lightning, using my swords as conductors.

_This is strange, I feel so much more alive in this world... That bolt of lightning had no physical cost on me... I must test this..._

Climbing onto the car, I starting firing lightning bolts from the roof. The shots were deadly, and required no effort whatsoever on my end. Paired with the autocannon that Aqua was using, holding these interlopers back seemed simple enough... But where was team RWBY?

Looking behind me, I spotted a particular blonde running around sneakily. Chasing after her, I shot a bolt of lightning after her which narrowly missed her head, but singed a clump of her hair. Quickly dropping down, I narrowly missed a rapid counter attack from Yang which closed the distance between us, involving a series of shot gauntlet powered punches.

Sick of the time I had wasted in dispatching this one foe, I quickly took a bunch of steps back before rushing back at her through the use of a slide tackle. Once Yang was down, I took a moment to sap enough energy from my opponent to ensure that she would not give pursuit, knowing the nature of her semblance would just make things harder if I zapped her directly.

_This is just too easy._

Making my way back to the stationary gun under Aqua's control, I spotted her climbing out of the tank. No longer walking, but running over, I looked up at the girl who was standing on top of the armored platform.

"Drexel, there wasn't as much ammo as I thought..."

Putting my swords aside, I stretched out my arms for her to jump down. As she was falling the short distance between us, two holes seemed to magically appear out of her chest, with blood spurting from the gaps.

_Stunned. I am stunned._

The body of the girl fell at my feet. Dropping down to my knees, I poked her still rosy cheek with my right index finger. She's playing dead, right? The "blood" is just some well made meat sauce... Right? No.

She's dead.

_I feel nothing, because now, I am empty._

Laying down beside the corpse which now was forming a pool of blood underneath herself, I simply remained there as I cried myself to sleep.

_No. Not you too. The other's deaths were just my imagination of a comatose dream. Let this be the same too._


End file.
